My Photonic Friend
by James Doyle
Summary: In the process of acquiring some new technology from Rico, they encounter a mysterious visitor from the future. Working together to keep the secret, the visitor discovers one of them also has a secret. CH 7 FIXED!
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer: All characters seen on _Hannah Montana _are the intellectual property of the Walt Disney Company. All characters seen on _Star Trek: Voyager _are the intellectual property of CBS Paramount.

_A/N: This is another one of those wacky ideas that I'm writing just to get it out of my head._

_Without further ado..._

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter One

_Mojave Desert_

_30 miles southeast of Barstow, California_

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" asked Miley Stewart, who was quite uncomfortable in her Hannah Montana outfit in the cab of a box truck with no air conditioning.

"Positive," replied Robbie Ray, who had elected to drive the truck himself so as to keep the operation as discreet as possible. "The last set of directions was to follow County Route 288 for fifteen miles, and we've been on that road for the last ten."

"Sorry to drag you along," apologized Hannah to her best friend Lilly Truscott, who accompanied them in her Lola Luftnagle persona.

"This isn't so bad," assured Lola. "Actually, it's kind of peaceful out here."

"If by 'peaceful,' you mean hot, bright, dusty," complained Hannah. "I'll be glad when this is over."

After a few more miles, they came upon an abandoned cinder block building. Robbie Ray parked the truck, and the three of them jumped out.

"Are you sure this is the place?" pestered Hannah.

"Hey-O!" greeted a familiar, but irritating voice from behind the building, before Robbie Ray could answer.

"Yep, this is it," commented Lola, rolling her eyes.

Around the corner walked the diminutive Latin entrepreneur Rico Suave, clad in a fedora, sunglasses, a Hawaiian print shirt, and khaki shorts.

"Remind me again why we're doing business with this twerp," groaned Hannah.

"Oh, I think you'll change your tune once you've seen the merchandise," boasted Rico with his usual sleazy grin.

"Yeah, about that," interjected Robbie Ray as he produced a clipboard for Rico to examine. "There is the small formality of protecting Hannah's identity."

"Oh, please," quipped Rico, snatching the clipboard from Robbie's hand and examining it for a moment before signing. "Like I've never seen a non-disclosure agreement before."

Robbie examined the clipboard to make sure the signature was actually Rico's.

"All right," said Rico. "Let's head inside and do business."

Robbie took a quick look around to make sure all the windows were properly boarded before signaling an OK to Hannah and Lola.

"Okay, Miley and Lilly," said Rico. "You can take your wigs off, now."

"You knew it was us the whole time?" said Lilly in disbelief as she removed her wig.

Rico snorted. "Please, I figured it out months ago."

"Why didn't you tell anybody?" asked Miley.

"You think I'm going let that sort of high-quality blackmail go for free?"

Miley nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're willing to turn blackmail into a business opportunity."

Rico smiled. "Always."

Rico resumed work on the electronics he'd been tinkering with when the truck arrived.

"So," continued Rico. "I make it a point to know my customers before they walk in the door. There are certain things Hannah needs to do – book and CD signings, movie premieres, miscellaneous photo ops – that Miley doesn't always have time to do."

"Never for concerts, though," interjected Miley.

"Of course not," agreed Rico. "But there are still times when you need to be in two places at once."

"And that's when Jackson informed us that you have a state-of-the-art holographic system," added Robbie.

Rico chuckled. "Holograms? Mister, I don't deal in second-rate merchandise. What I'm offering is a next-generation isomorphic projection system."

"Technobabblespoutintwerpsay_what?_" exclaimed Miley.

"I'm talking about more than just a trick of the lights, toots," explained Rico. "An isomorphic projection system uses force-fields to actually manipulate objects the physical world. Imagine a virtual Hannah double that can actually shake a fan's hand, indistinguishable from the real thing."

Miley donned a Cheshire grin. "Now you're talking. Just demo this baby for me, and you've got yourself a deal."

Rico grinned in reply. "Just a few more adjustments and that'll be right up for you."

A few minutes later, Rico had the system wired up and ready to go.

"Hit it," instructed Rico. Robbie Ray threw the switch, causing the system to activate with a light show and a loud electrical hum.

Miley offered Rico a USB stick. "Here's all the data you need about me, including my measurements. Which, by the way, every single celebrity rag has gotten wrong."

"Hold on," instructed Rico as he waved her off. "There's a program in the holo-buffer."

"Can you terminate it?" asked Miley.

"Not advisable," explained Rico as he keyed in a few more commands. "It could destabilize the holo-matrix. Maybe if I activate the program and let it run, it'll self-terminate."

All present stood silently in shock as a medium-height, mostly-bald middle-aged man in a style of military uniform none of them recognized appeared in the middle of the room.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," requested the photonic man.

**End of Chapter One**

_A/N: I know, it's short. I wanted it to be a kind of cold-open. Let me know what you think! More to come!_


	2. Chapter 2

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Two

"This obviously isn't Sickbay," commented the mysterious figure. "Was I somehow rerouted to the holodeck?"

"What in the Sam Heck is this?" demanded Robbie Ray.

"I'm a Mark One Emergency Medical Holographic Program, serial number Omega 323, Chief Medical Officer aboard the Federation Starship _Voyager_."

"I have no idea," replied Rico, ignoring the Doctor's response.

Miley glowered at Rico. "What do you mean, you have no idea? When I made this deal – which, by the way, I'm reconsidering – I assumed you had some inkling in that annoying, evil little skull of yours how this stuff actually works."

"Yeah, I understand the system well enough to create a digital Hannah double with limited AI," defended Rico. "This thing, on the other hand, has literally _billions _of lines of code. Figuring out what it does could take me years."

"This 'thing' to which you refer is standing right here and demanding to know just is going on here," interjected the Doctor.

"This is awesome!" exclaimed Rico. "I've never seen anything crunch qualitative empirical data like this before."

"Geek out on your own time," instructed Miley. "All I care about is getting rid of it."

"This is outrageous!" protested the Doctor. "How dare you dry to delete my program without even consulting me. I demand to speak to your superior."

"Can't you shut this glorified light-show up?" complained Miley.

"That I can do," replied Rico. "Deactivating audio subroutines."

Before Rico could punch in the appropriate commands, Lilly grabbed him by the wrist.

Rico scowled at Lilly. "You'd better be coming on to me, toots, or we're gonna have words."

"It's this poor guy you should be having words with," insisted Lilly.

"Lilly," added Miley. "It's a hologram. It's not real."

"Of course he's real," argued Lilly, turning to face the Doctor. "Can't you see how scared he is?"

Miley looked at the Doctor, and confirmed the look on his face that Lilly saw, as well as the look on hers that displayed her disappointment in Miley.

Miley sighed. "Alright. What do you want us to do?"

"Let's start by listening to what he has to say," suggested Lilly, who then walked over to the Doctor and offered a hand.

"Hi, I'm Lilly Truscott," greeted Lilly. "What's your name?"

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Truscott," replied the Doctor. "At present, I don't have a name. You may refer to me as 'Doctor.'"

Lilly glared at the other three, then signaled for them to come over.

"This my best friend, Miley Stewart, her father Robbie Ray, and their business associate Rico."

The three of them shook the Doctor's hand, though Rico did so reluctantly.

"I'm pleased to meet all of you," said the Doctor.

"I guess you'd like to know where you are," offered Miley.

"That would nice, yes."

"We're in an abandoned Chronowerx lab in Southern California," informed Lilly.

"Yes, of course," said the Doctor. "The last thing I remember was…wait, what year is it?"

"2010," replied Miley, initially taken aback by the question.

"Do you mean to tell me my program has been inactive for fourteen years?"

Rico tapped in a few commands. "Date of last activation: November 6, 1996. Yeah, that's about the size of it."

"It would seem I'm in a precarious position," observed the Doctor. "At this point, there's no telling what became of my ship."

"What ship?" asked Lilly.

"I'm sorry," replied the Doctor. "The Temporal Prime Directive prohibits me from telling you anything more."

"Look Doc," assured Robbie Ray, "We'd really like to help you. But if we're gonna do that, you're gonna have to trust us."

"Who's this 'we?'" interrupted Rico. "As of right now, I still own this equipment. If I don't see some dinero, I'll find another buyer. And considering what came pre-loaded, my price just doubled."

"Daddy?" asked Miley.

"Alright," conceded Robbie Ray. "What's this gonna cost me?"

"I'll accept our previously-agreed amount as a down-payment," offered Rico. "You can pay the balance over twelve months at eleven and a half percent interest."

"Sweet niblets!" exclaimed Robbie. "Eleven and a half percent?"

"Take it or I spend the next year dissecting holo-boy to see what makes him tick," warned Rico.

Robbie growled. "Fine, done," he said as he signed the new contract, which he wasn't at all surprised Rico had prepared beforehand.

"Awesome," exclaimed Lilly. "Now, can we get this stuff back to LA?"

"That might be a problem," explained Rico as he held up a blue cylinder about the size of a soda can. "This was the backup battery for the holo-buffer. It was just about dead when you got here."

"EPS power cell," identified the Doctor. "I'd imagine those are hard to come by in your century."

"My dad already sold off everything else he acquired in the Chronowerx liquidation auction. What you see is what I have. Right now, the only thing keeping holo-boy online are the building's backup generators."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I do wish you wouldn't call me that."

Lilly walked over and examined the power readouts.

"If we take the holo-emitters offline and load two of the generators onto the truck, that should provide enough power to keep the holo-buffer online."

"Yeah, you're right," confirmed Rico. "How'd you know what?"

Lilly smiled sheepishly. "Lucky guess?"

"So, I don't know how much of that you heard," said Lilly as she approached the Doctor.

"You need to take the holo-emitters offline so you can transport the holo-buffer," echoed the Doctor. "I hear everything within range of my sonic transducers. Just promise me you'll reactivate me."

"I promise," replied Lilly.

"Under the circumstances, I couldn't be in better hands," said the Doctor. "I'll see all of you in Los Angeles."

After taking the holo-emitters offline, the four of them spent the rest of the day preparing the truck, then carefully moving the holo-buffer so as not to disrupt the power connection, and finally loading the rest of the equipment into the truck. The Stewarts and Lilly waited with Rico until his limousine came to pick him up, then headed back to Los Angeles in the truck.

The three of them remained quiet until they merged into Interstate 15.

"Typical Rico," observed Miley. "Offers us merchandise that he ain't tested yet, with every intention of doubling his price. And then he threatens to dissect the Doc like a frog!"

"I wouldn't be so self-righteous if I were you," scolded Robbie Ray. "After all, you were the one who wanted to delete him."

"You're right," conceded Miley, who then looked over at Lilly. "I'm just glad I have a best friend to set me straight."

The two girls hugged as best they could in the cab of the truck, and the three of them cruised into the red desert sunset, onward toward Malibu.

**End of Chapter Two**

_A/N: I personally thought it was kind of a weak chapter, but I needed to move this story along._


	3. Chapter 3

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Three

"Where is he?" asked Jackson Stewart as he stumbled downstairs. "I wanna see him."

"Patience, my boy," replied Robbie Ray, putting his arm around Jackson. "Apparently, keeping a large tanker truck in your driveway and running generators 24/7 requires permits, which took longer than expected. Rico's making the final adjustments now."

"And, done," announced Rico. "Alright sweet stuff, fire it up!"

Oliver Oken cast a dirty look at Rico for calling his girlfriend "sweet stuff."

"Activating holo-emitters," replied Lilly, choosing to ignore Rico's impertinence.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," stated the Doctor as he appeared in the Stewarts' living room. Oliver and Jackson looked on in awe as the Doctor walked around and explored his environs.

"Well, this is certainly a comfortable dwelling," observed the Doctor. "I could think of worse places to be stranded."

Jackson ran up to the Doctor and shook his hand vigorously. "Jackson Rod Stewart. Great to meet you."

"Likewise, I'm sure," replied the Doctor. "And who might this young man be?"

"Doc, this is Oliver Oken," introduced Lilly.

"Oliver _Smokin' _Oken," said Oliver as he shook the Doctor's hand.

Lilly rolled her eyes. Though Oliver had washed out of the semi-finals of _America's Top Talent_, he had nonetheless gotten the attention of record executives, which had led to a recording contract. Unfortunately, at least in Lilly's estimation, the fame seemed to go to his head at times.

"Very clever word-play, Mr. Oken," complimented the Doctor.

"Don't encourage him," admonished Lilly with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, now that we're all introduced, perhaps we should get started," suggested the Doctor. The group followed to Doctor and Miley into the living room.

"All right, everyone," began Miley. "Anything you see and hear tonight does not leave this room. Agreed?"

The members of the group each nodded their assent.

"The man y'all met this evening isn't like us. He's an artificial lifeform; a hologram, from the twenty-second century."

"Twenty-fourth," corrected the Doctor.

"My bad," apologized Miley. "Now, first off all, it's extremely important that we maintain the Doctor's cover. As far as anyone else is concerned, he's our cousin Dave, visiting from Canada. Considering we've been keeping the Hannah secret all these years, I don't anticipate any problems there."

"Is that the best you could come up with?" ridiculed Jackson.

"It'll be easier to maintain the illusion if we keep it simple," explained Lilly.

"Right," agreed Miley. "Second order of business: The Doctor's holo-matrix eats enough juice to run a Hannah Montana concert. Even when the holo-emitters are inactive, there's still plenty that could go wrong. That's why there needs to be someone here at all times, monitoring the system."

"And just what are we planning on doing with him?" asked Oliver.

"Rico?" delegated Miley.

"Well, since I don't understand twenty-four century technology nearly well enough to set up any kind of time-travel solution, we'll have to find some way to maintain his program until the twenty-fourth century."

"There's some evidence to suggest that my program had been copied at some point," added the Doctor. "It's entirely possible that another version of me may have returned to my time. With any luck, it should be possible to reintegrate me with my other self."

Judging from the blank stares, the Doctor surmised that he'd lost his audience.

"We'll worry about that later," continued Miley. "In the meantime, Rico will brief all of you on the basics of maintaining the system. Unless anyone has any pressing questions, we're done for the evening."

"This is officially the weirdest evening I've had in awhile," noted Oliver as he and Lilly left.

"I don't know," argued Lilly. "I think it's kind of cool."

"One more thing," said Rico just before leaving. "You realize I'll need to commit considerable resources toward finding the technology needed to help you."

"Of course," acknowledged the Doctor. "I cannot, of course, offer any sort of monetary compensation, and I'm afraid I can't offer my services as a physician. I am, however, capable of performing diverse and sundry other tasks."

Rico donned his evil grin.

"Did you make the adjustments I asked for?" asked Rico as Oliver returned from the Stewart house.

"Yep," replied Oliver. "We should be all set."

"Great," said Rico. "Computer, activate EMH."

The Doctor appeared behind the counter of a snack shack, wearing a Rico's apron in addition to his normal attire.

"What's all this?" asked the Doctor, surveying his surroundings.

"I extended the range of your holo-emitters by a hundred meters," explained Rico. "Now you'll be able to help out around the shack."

"This is humiliating," protested the Doctor. "I'm a doctor, not a short-order chef!"

"Let me put it to you another way," reiterated Rico. "I pay minimum wage. The time and resources I'm committing to this project are worth a lot more than that. Let's face it: You're getting a bargain."

The Doctor grunted. "In my century, we call this 'extortion.'"

Rico grinned. "In my century, we call it 'business.'"

"Very well," capitulated the Doctor. "I suppose I can handle these primitive instruments."

"That's the spirit," encouraged Rico. "Now, the shack closes at ten. Do you think you can handle it?"

"I don't see why not," boasted the Doctor. "After all, I don't get tired."

"Perfect," said Rico as he silently thanked the gods of commerce for giving him such an employee. "I'll see you then."

Later that afternoon, Lilly came to check on the Doctor.

"How's it going?" asked Lilly.

"Not terribly, all things considered," admitted the Doctor. "Can I get you something?"

"No thanks," declined Lilly. "Rico frowns on giving away free food, and I don't want to get you in trouble."

"I appreciate your consideration," the Doctor said sincerely.

"We're all doing our best," replied Lilly. "Even Rico."

"Yes, Mr. Suave has been quite helpful, his single-minded pursuit of material wealth notwithstanding."

"Tell me about it," agreed Lilly with a roll of her eyes. "I've never met anyone who goes to the lengths he does to rake in the latinum."

"Latinum?" asked the Doctor, raising an eyebrow. "What do you know about latinum?"

"I didn't say latinum," denied Lilly, speaking a mile a minute. "I said platinum. You know, cause gold's not good enough for him."

"Yes, of course," acknowledged the Doctor, still not quite satisfied with her answer. Nevertheless, he decided to change the subject. "If I may be so bold as to inquire, you and Mr. Oken are...a couple?"

Lilly sighed. "Officially, yes. Sometimes I wonder."

"Has been...less than attentive as of late?" asked the Doctor.

Lilly nodded. "I'm sure he doesn't mean to be. But every time I think we're going have some time together, something else comes up. A magazine interview, an emergency meeting with his producer, a last-minute recording session. You-know-who..." she said, avoiding mentioning a name so as not to discuss the Hannah secret in public "...does all that and still manages to find time to hang out with me."

"It can't all be bad," argued the Doctor. "After all, being the girlfriend of a celebrity gives one a certain exposure."

"One problem with that, Doc," countered Lilly. "He's famous; I'm not. I go with him to movie premieres and stuff, but really, I'm just arm-candy when we go to those things."

The Doctor scratched his chin. "Perhaps your relationship is in trouble. Have you spoken to him about it?"

"I've tried," admitted Lilly. "He always says he's sorry, and that things will be better." Lilly looked up at the sky with a dreamy twinkle in her eyes. "And he sounds so sweet when says it." Lilly sighed and hung her head. "But nothing ever changes. Doc, I don't know how long I can keep this up."

"It's a difficult situation, to be sure," observed the Doctor.

"Yeah," agreed Lilly. "It's funny. I usually talk to Miley about this sort of thing."

"If I'm not too much mistaken, Miss Stewart is also a close friend of Mr. Oken's," noted the Doctor. "It's often helpful to talk things out with a disinterested party. Even if said party is 'not all there,' so to speak."

Lilly laughed. "For what it's worth, Doc, I don't of you that way."

"I wish the same could be said of your friends," lamented the Doctor.

"They've never met anyone like you, so they probably just don't know how to react," postulated Lilly. "Give them time. They'll come around."

"I appreciate your encouragement," thanked the Doctor.

"Anytime," said Lilly, just before the alarm went off on her phone. "Oh, I've got to get into costume. Catch you later."

"Hey, Lils," greeted Jackson, passing Lilly as she left.

"Hi, Jackson," she replied.

"Are you ill, Mr. Stewart?" asked the Doctor as Jackson bellied up to the counter.

"Nah, never felt better," answered Jackson. "Why do you ask?"

"Your pupils are dilated, your heart-rate is elevated, and your body temperature is half a degree above normal," observed the Doctor.

"Better watch that, Doc," admonished Jackson. "We don't wanna blow your cover."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, of course. What can I do for you?"

"Small order of nachos and a Diet Coke," requested Jackson, placing his money on the counter. The Doctor prompted gave Jackson his change, then returned a moment later with his order.

"So how'd you manage to get on that side of the counter?" inquired Jackson.

The Doctor rolled his holographic eyes. "It's been referred to historically as 'indentured servitude.'"

Jackson nodded. "Been there; done that."

As he tended to other customers, the Doctor noticed out of the corner of that Jackson had been staring at the same page of his magazine for nearly five minutes. The Doctor flipped, magnified, and enhanced the image within his holo-matrix, whereby he found it to by an image of Oliver Oken, with a somewhat forlorn-looking Lilly Truscott at his side.

"It appears I misdiagnosed you," said the Doctor after the other customers had left. "You weren't ill; you were reacting to Miss Truscott."

Jackson chuckled. "Me? Into Lilly? Don't be ridiculous!" denied Jackson, scrunching his face in the way that always indicated he was lying.

"It's a perfectly normal response," assured the Doctor. "Miss Truscott is an attractive young woman."

"She's more than that, Doc," admitted Jackson. "She's smart, she's funny, she cares about people. I always used to think of her as a less-annoying little sister."

"Obviously, that's changed," noted the Doctor.

"Yeah, well she grew boobs and started acting more....how would you say?"

"Feminine?" suggested the Doctor.

"Yeah, exactly," agreed Jackson. "So now not only is she a total babe, she's got style, class, ambitions, opinions about things. Doc, she's a real woman!"

"Believe me, Mr. Stewart, I discerned that quite soon after meeting her," commented the Doctor. "Does she know how you feel?"

"Not a clue," replied Jackson. "Oliver's my best bud. I couldn't do that to him. But I can't just keep this to myself forever. I don't know what to do."

"I wish I could tell you," apologized the Doctor. "As it is, I myself am something of a novice in the realm of romantic endeavors. However, you're always welcome to confide in me."

"Yeah, who else am I gonna tell?"

That evening, Lilly and Oliver attended a party. Lilly tried to enjoy herself, but when Oliver struck up what appeared to be a stimulating conversation with, of all people, Mikayla, Lilly could bear it no longer. She asked for, and received his blessing to leave without him. Not wanting to go straight home, she decided to take a walk on the beach alone, hoping it would clear her mind.

It didn't suffice. Lilly decided she needed someone to talk to, and at the moment, the only person she thought she could trust was the Doctor. As she made her way up the access ramp and passed Rico's on the way to the Stewart house, the Doctor appeared amidst the tables.

"Miss Truscott," greeted the Doctor as he appeared.

"Oh, Doc," exclaimed Lilly as she placed a hand over her chest. "You scared me. I was just looking for you."

"I know," said the Doctor. "Before I advise you any further, there's something I need to know."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Have you told anyone who you really are?"

**End of Chapter Three**

_There's a fresh can of worms waiting to be opened. Stay tuned!_


	4. Chapter 4

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Four

Lilly sighed heavily as she took a seat, inviting the Doctor to do the same.

"It was that Freudian slip about the latinum, wasn't it?" guessed Lilly.

"That helped confirm my suspicions," acknowledged the Doctor. "But you must remember, I have superior visual acuity. I'm able to detect the remnants of a number of distinctive cranial features. Normally, I wouldn't have been able to tell without a proper scan, but they appear to have been removed using extremely crude instruments."

Lilly nodded. "They were filed down when I was a baby. This time around, that is."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"I will," agreed Lilly. "I want you to help me tell the others."

"I'd like to," admitted the Doctor. "But my programming prohibits it."

"I understand," said Lilly. "EMH: Starfleet Command Temporal Prime Directive override. Authorization: Alpha-alpha-six-tango-foxtrot-two-one-niner."

"Override code accepted," responded the Doctor. "Thank you, Commander."

The next evening, Lilly and the Doctor waited with Rico and the Stewarts at their home for Oliver to arrive.

"Have you finished analyzing that blood sample?" asked Lilly.

"Yes," replied the Doctor. "Mr. Suave's primitive lab equipment notwithstanding."

"Hmph," reacted Rico, sticking his nose in the air.

"Hey, Lillypop," said Oliver, waltzing through the door like the rock star he fancied himself. "Sorry I'm late. I had a meeting about a possible book deal, and it ran overtime."

"Sit down, Oliver," snarked Lilly, not in the mood for his excuses.

"Alright, everyone," began Lilly. "I realize there's been a lot of surprises in the last few days. Bear with me, because I have one more for you. Before I begin, nothing I say I leaves this house. Agreed?"

The group nodded in agreement.

"Alright. You all know me as Lilly Truscott. And for the past seventeen years, that's who I've been. But that's not who I've always been. Doc?"

"I've extrapolated Miss Truscott's former appearance based upon her DNA profile," elaborated the Doctor as he brought up a holographic image. Before them stood a woman who bore a strong resemblance to the Lilly they knew, but with a number of difference. She appeared much older, and had black hair, pale skin with a slight gray tint to it, a series of small ridges on the bridge of her nose, and a minor indentation in her forehead that resembled a small spoon.

"As you can tell," continued Lilly. "I'm not entirely human."

"Sixty-two point five percent human, to be precise," elaborated the Doctor. "My analysis indicates ancestry from nearly a dozen races. Bajoran and Cardassian feature most prominently."

Lilly nodded. "In my time, racially-pure members of any species are pretty rare."

"Your time?" asked Miley in disbelief. "What do you mean 'your time?'"

"My last day in my own century was August 22, 2847, by the ancient calendar. In that time, I was Lieutenant Commander Lazura Lira, Second Officer of the Federation timeship _Eternity_."

"This is incredible," argued Robbie Ray.

"It's all true, Mr. Stewart," assured Lilly. "I need you to believe me."

"Of course we believe you Lazura...I mean Lira...Lieutenant...Commander?" said Miley, trying to find the right word.

"I still answer to 'Lilly,'" she offered.

Miley sighed in relief.

"How long have you been keeping this from us?" demanded Oliver.

"I haven't been keeping anything from you. I only started remembering things a few months ago. An image here; a name there. Seeing the Doctor jogged my memory, brought everything back...almost everything."

"How could you forget something like that?" wondered Robbie Ray.

"That's kind of a long story," began Lilly. "If you'll give me a few minutes, I'll tell you. Don't try and correct my tenses; it's all in the past to me.

"I was an officer in the Temporal Integrity Commission of Starfleet. Our mission was to minimize damage caused to the normal flow of time by anachronistic intruders."

Lilly saw the confused looks on their faces. "People from other times."

"Ah," they said in unison, nodding in understanding.

"Anyway, a figure who had become known for tampering with the timeline was Captain Kathryn Janeway, the twenty-fourth century commander of the starship _Voyager_, and our Doctor's commanding officer. Assigned to her case-file was Captain Braxton, commander of the timeship _Aeon. _As Braxton pursued the case, he became over-zealous, even obsessed. In the timeline I experienced, a temporal explosion occurred, destroying Earth's solar system."

Lilly paused for a moment when she saw the horrified look on her friends' faces. "Don't worry, it's not for another eight hundred years, and it was most likely averted, anyway."

Satisfied that her friends had been reassured, Lilly continued. "Our investigation concluded that the cause of the explosion was most likely a time shuttle with an improperly-calibrated temporal core. The only thing that didn't add up were hull fragments from _Voyager_. When the Board of Inquiry figured that these weren't enough to implicate _Voyager _in the explosion, Braxton took matters into his own hands. He made unauthorized use of a time shuttle from the _Aeon _and took it upon himself to travel back to the twenty-fourth century and destroy _Voyager _before she could do any damage. Near as we could tell, _Voyager _fought back, and created a temporal rift that sent both ships back to the twentieth century.

"Based on the evidence, we determined that it was Braxton's shuttle that had returned to the twenty-ninth century with bad temporal core and caused the explosion. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop the entire incident from happening, because as it turns out, Braxton's intrusion helped cause the technological revolution of the late twentieth century. Removing him would've caused serious and unpredictable changes to the timeline. Still, the temporal explosion had to be stopped. That's where I came in.

"I was dispatched to the year 1996 to destroy the time shuttle as it launched. I don't remember what happened next, but I'm guessing I didn't calculate for the instability caused by Braxton's shuttle, and my own temporal core started to destabilize. I'm sure my emergency transporter activated, and it's probable that transporting through that instability regressed my age by a number of years. Up until recently, my earliest memories were of waking up in a hospital room when I was two."

"I'm still curious as to how the doctors of your time reacted," pondered the Doctor.

"They probably thought I was some kind of mutant. They didn't want to see me dissected in some government lab, so they kept things quiet. I had third degree burns over most of my body, so their main concern was saving my life."

"That would make sense," added the Doctor. "The blood samples you gave me indicate that at one point, you had a nanoprobe-enhanced immune system. It undoubtedly took very well to the Terran skin grafts you received, giving you the appearance we're all enjoying today."

Lilly couldn't help but blush at the Doctor's compliment.

"Dan and Heather Truscott took me in and raised me as one of their own. They've always known I was different, so telling them shouldn't be too much of a shock."

"Well, it sure was a doosie for us," commented Robbie Ray. "But as far as I'm concerned, you're still Lilly, and you're still welcome here anytime."

"Miley?" asked Lilly, trying to read her best friend.

Miley looked over at the hologram. "It's you."

"It _was_ me." Lilly placed her hands over her heart. "_This_ is me."

Miley leaped up from her seat and threw her arms around her best friend.

"So how old are you really?" asked Jackson.

"That's kind of complicated," replied Lilly.

"Let's make it simple," suggested Robbie Ray. "How many miles on the odometer?"

"Well, I was thirty-nine when I left, and I just turned eighteen, subtract two years...I'm fifty-seven."

"Sweet niblets!" exclaimed Robbie. "Well, since you're older than I am, you can feel free to call me Robbie from now on."

"Thanks," Lilly said somewhat sarcastically as she hugged him.

"Well, I guess that means you're officially out of my league," deduced Rico.

Lilly shot him a dirty look. "You'd better believe it, gnome."

"You've been awfully quiet, Mr. Oken," observed the Doctor.

"Yeah," said Oliver with a certain indignation in his tone.

"Well, what are you thinking?" asked Lilly after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't know," barked Oliver. "I need to think."

With that, Oliver stomped out of the house.

"Oliver, wait!" cried Lilly, chasing after him. She had almost reached the end of the driveway when he drove off.

"Oliver!" yelled Lilly as she began to weep. Miley caught up to her and put her arms around her.

"Don't worry," assured Miley. "He'll come around eventually."

"Can I stay here tonight?" requested Lilly. "I don't think I'm ready to go home yet."

"Of course," agreed Miley.

Later that night, Jackson went downstairs for late-night snack, and spotted Lilly lounging out on the deck. He took the food with him and joined her.

"Mind if I join you?" asked Jackson.

"It's a free country," replied Lilly, not looking at him.

"Sandwich?" offered Jackson.

"No thanks," declined Lilly. "I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself."

Jackson looked up at the stars with Lilly for several minutes, then broke the silence.

"Thinking about how many of those stars you've been to?" guessed Jackson.

"Good guess," confirmed Lilly. "You can't see too many in Malibu, unfortunately."

"Which one are you from?" asked Jackson.

"I was born on transport in the Beta Quadrant," answered Lilly. "From here, it should be somewhere in direction of Perseus." Lilly took Jackson's hand and used it to guide his eye. "It's that one there; the one shaped like a Y."

"How far is that from here?"

"About three thousand light-years, give or take a few billion kilometers."

"Is that part of that thing...what did you call it? The United Federation of Planets?"

"That's right," confirmed Lilly. "It covers about forty percent of the galaxy in my time. Only about ten percent in the Doctor's time, though."

Lilly sighed.

"What's wrong?" asked Jackson.

"My time," echoed Lilly. "I really should stop calling it that."

"Why? It's where you're from, isn't it?"

"It is, but it's not my home anymore. Haven't you wondered at all why they haven't come back for me?"

"Actually, I hadn't," admitted Jackson. "But now that you mention it, it does seem a little odd."

"Temporal enforcement isn't just a matter of going back and fixing things. It's a complex process that involves weighing and calculating consequences. Have you ever seen a temporal incursion histogram?"

"No, can't say that I have."

"We used to call this time period 'The Patchwork.' We called it that because a time graph of it looks like a really trippy patchwork quilt. That's because it's been tampered with so much. Any further tampering can cause major ripples in the timeline. The Commission weighs very carefully whether any mission to this time period is worth the risk. Stopping a temporal explosion caused by the negligence of our own officer? Totally worth it. Mounting a rescue mission for one lost officer who's having a minimal impact? Not so much. The twenty-first century is my home now. It's when I live, and it's when I'll die."

"Well, I'm guessing you just made an impact by telling me all that," surmised Jackson.

"Not really," argued Lilly. "It's all far enough in the future that you can't really do anything to change it. There are some things in the immediate future that I don't dare tell you about. It's hard enough to predict the consequences with the proper equipment. As it is, I can't imagine the havoc I'd cause. My place in the history books is at Hannah Montana's side. All I can do is ride that out, see where it leads."

"See where it leads?" asked Jackson. "You mean you don't already know?"

Lilly shook her head. "All that's left of Hannah in the twenty-ninth century are photographs, press clippings, a few MP3 files. We know that Hannah Montana was an alter-ego, but we have no idea who she really was."

Jackson sighed. "So I guess when we die, the secret dies with us."

Lilly perked up. "It doesn't have to."

"What do you mean?"

"We're trying to send the Doctor back to the future. What's the harm in sending some historical data with him?"

"That's an awesome idea," approved Jackson. "We'll talk with him and Rico in the morning. In the meantime, we should try to get some sleep."

Oliver remained silent for several days. Lilly neither saw nor heard from him until she stopped by the shack as Rico was closing up, and found Oliver there, filling out some paperwork.

"Ollie-pop?" greeted Lilly. Oliver gulped as he heard her voice.

"Well, I think I'll leave you two alone," said Rico as he took the papers and departed.

"What was that all about?" asked Lilly.

"If you must know, I was meeting with Rico to sign an NDA," informed Oliver.

"An NDA? Whatever for?"

"I'm done, Lilly," said Oliver. "I want out."

"Out of what?"

"All of this. This has gotten too weird for me. I can't handle this and a music career."

Lilly began to choke up as she put the pieces together. "Oliver, what does this mean for us?"

"There is no 'us,'" retorted Oliver. "It's over."

"What do you mean it's over?" demanded Lilly. "Oliver, I love you. And you love me."

"Love you? I don't even know you!"

"That's bullshit," argued Lilly. "You've known me for years."

"I thought I knew you. But you're not really the girl I fell in love with. You're a poser. An impostor. A freak."

"You asshole!" yelled Lilly, knocking Oliver to the ground with a swift right-hook. Oliver stumbled to his feet and began nursing what was sure to become a nasty black eye.

"You stay the hell away from me, Lilly!" ordered Oliver as he ran away.

"No problem," yelled Lilly after him. "I never want to see your self-centered, bigoted face again!"

The Doctor appeared a moment later, having heard the commotion.

"Commander," said the Doctor. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Don't call me that!" yelled Lilly. The Doctor anticipated her next move and de-solidified his image so that her fists passed through him as she swung at him. Not expecting to miss, Lilly lost her balance and fell. The Doctor helped her to her feet, at which point she wailed and bawled with abandon. Though unaccustomed to physical affection, the Doctor held her close and allowed her to cry into his holographic uniform. As soon her crying had subsided to a dull sob, he offered her an arm and escorted her back to the Stewart house.

Miley heard the back door open, and immediately came downstairs to meet Lilly and the Doctor. He released Lilly into the custody of her best friend, and they plopped down upon the couch together, where Lilly continued to cry onto Miley's shoulder. Miley had suspected from the paperwork Rico had preparing that morning that Oliver might have been planning something like this, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. Nonetheless, she'd prepared herself for the worst, and the worst had come.

"Computer," instructed the Doctor, sensing that the girls needed some privacy. "Deactivate EMH."

**End of Chapter Four**

_In case you're wondering, you won't see any more of Oliver in this story. Stay tuned!_


	5. Chapter 5

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Five

Over the next several weeks, Lilly withdrew for the most part from her normal activities, most of which still reminded her of Oliver. Instead, she occupied her mind by helping Rico and the Doctor find solutions, both short-term and long-term, to keep the Doctor compiled and running. As time went on, the Stewarts watched their living room transform into a laboratory.

"Soup's on," announced Robbie Ray as he served up several helpings of country-fried steak with fried potatoes and gravy. Lilly and Rico dropped what they were doing and joined Miley, Robbie Ray, and Jackson at the table. The Doctor also joined them, and Rico prepared a plate of holographic food for him, so the others wouldn't feel awkward with someone watching them eat.

"So, how are your academic pursuits?" inquired the Doctor, wishing to discuss something other than the work going on in the lab.

"Ugh, school's a nightmare!" reviled Lilly. "Oliver's seeing a private tutor these days, but I still get all kinds of questions from his adoring fans about why we broke up. Apparently, they think he's some kind of hero because he didn't press charges for slugging him. I'm just glad it'll all be over soon."

"If you ask me, you went easy on him," commented Miley. "If he'd done that to me, he'd be walking bow-legged for the next month, if you get my meaning."

The three human males of the group shuddered, imagining all too vividly what Miley meant.

"Whatever," dismissed Lilly. "Enough about that. What about you, Jackson?"

"Well, it's been a good semester so far. My only complaint would be Calc III. Lord only knows how I got through Calc I and II."

"If you'd like, I can help you," offered Lilly.

"Well, sure, but I thought you..." Jackson stopped himself, choosing his words carefully.. "...struggled with math."

"I think you meant to say 'sucked,'" supplied Lilly. "And your right, I did. As it is, I can't tell you how hard it is to fly under the radar with a B+ average knowing subspace vector calculus."

"Well, in that case, by all means," accepted Jackson.

After dinner, the three scientists met with the Stewarts and recapped what they accomplished that week.

"Okay, so we still haven't come up with any permanent solutions," noted Rico. "But I have managed to acquire a few surplus nuclear batteries. They were originally intended to power Soviet space probes."

"I don't even wanna know how you got your hands on those," interrupted Robbie Ray.

"No, you probably don't," agreed Rico. "Anyway, those should provide enough power that we don't need to keep these generators running."

"You did say 'nuclear,'" noted Miley. "I don't know about y'all, but I'm not keen on glowing in the dark."

"That was a concern of mine, as well," explained the Doctor. "However, Lilly has helped develop a cooling system and shielding that should provide adequate protection."

"Way to go Lilly," congratulated Jackson, pounding fists with Lilly.

"Hey, I'm just glad I can do something useful without an industrial-grade replicator."

"I still don't see why we can't just copy the Doc to a hard drive and bury it," pondered Robbie Ray. "No offense, Doc."

"None taken," assured the Doctor.

"A holo-matrix is a non-binary data structure," explained Lilly. "The Chronowerx holo-buffer we're using is actually pretty crude compared to the hardware the Doc was designed to run on. It's designed to create simulations on the fly based on input from the computer. The Doc's way too complex to be read back into the computer, so once the system powers down, everything in it, including the Doc, goes bye-bye."

"I _think _I caught the gist of that," said Robbie Ray. "I'll take your word for it."

"All right," continued Rico. "I'll be meeting with my supplier on Saturday, so I need someone to go back to the lab and retrieve some parts."

"I'll do it," volunteered Jackson.

"Good," acknowledged Rico. "Take Lilly with you. She knows what we're looking for, and she might be able to find something else that could help us. Does anyone have anything else to add?"

The group shook their heads.

"Well, then," concluded Rico. "Let's call it a night."

"Hey, Rico?" called Miley just as Rico headed for the door.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for all your help," said Miley. "I never thought I'd say this, but you really are a good guy."

"Yeah," replied Rico. "Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain."

Miley chuckled. "Don't worry, your secret is safe."

"So how about that Calc homework?" prompted Lilly as Jackson made his way toward the stairs.

"Right now?" asked Jackson.

"Well, when's your next assignment due?"

Jackson sighed. "Tomorrow."

"I'd say now's a good time."

As Robbie Ray finished dinner clean-up, he watched Jackson and Lilly across the room. Jackson made no attempt to make Lilly do the work for him, nor did Lilly lord her knowledge over him. Rather, she gently prompted and nudged him through the problems that she knew he was capable of.

"I have to admit," commented Jackson as they finished. "This is probably the least painful study session I've ever had."

"I guess you just needed the right tutor," replied Lilly.

"Maybe tomorrow you could show me how to build a warp engine," teased Jackson.

Lilly glared at him with mock indignation. "You know I can't do that."

Jackson laughed. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

Lilly joined him in laughing as she gave him a side hug. "Goodnight, Jackson."

"Goodnight, Lilly," he replied. "And thanks."

"Anytime," she said as she made her exit.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Jackson, observing his father as he finished up in the kitchen.

"I'd sure like to know what in the Sam Heck is going on between you two," said Robbie.

"Yeah," agreed Jackson. "So would I."

Lilly approached the Stewart residence by way of the beach early on Saturday morning. She passed a few of the more hardcore surfers before stopping at Rico's.

"Computer," commanded Lilly. "Activate EMH."

"Please state the nature...." began the Doctor as he appeared, interrupting himself as he took stock of his surroundings. "What's the meaning of this? My shift doesn't start for another three hours."

"Relax, Doc," assured Lilly. "I just thought I'd say hello before I headed out."

"In that case, I appreciate your consideration," thanked the Doctor. "Is something on your mind?" he asked after a moment's observation.

"Yeah, kind of," admitted Lilly. "I've been thinking a lot about my life lately. Honestly, I'm a little jealous of you."

"I don't see what's to envy," argued the Doctor. "Your intellect is comparable to mine."

"That's not what I meant," clarified Lilly. "Rico's a greedy, obnoxious, narcissistic brat. But he's also a genius who can do just about anything he sets his mind to. One way or another, we're gonna get you home, Doc."

"You, on the other hand, will most likely never return to the 29th century," observed the Doctor.

Lilly nodded.

"This may be of little consolation, but I'll say it nonetheless: You may no longer be able travel among the stars, but your life needn't be dull. There remains a good deal to see here on earth, especially in this century."

"I didn't see much outside the grounds of Starfleet Academy in my old life," granted Lilly.

"You also have the unique opportunity of witnessing some of the pivotal events in human history unfold, not to mention knowing which places and events to avoid. You've already lived fifty-five years, and even in this primitive state of medicine, you can look forward to at least another fifty or sixty years. You have a family, and friends....and a young man who cares deeply for you."

Lilly chuckled. "Doc, I hope for your sake you're not suggesting that Oliver might come back. After all he's put me through, I say good riddance."

"Agreed," said the Doctor with his trademark roll of the eyes. "However, I wasn't speaking of Mr. Oken."

The Doctor gestured toward the Stewart home, where Jackson waved from the back porch.

"It may have been indiscreet of me to say anything," continued the Doctor. "And I don't wish to pressure you into anything for which you're not ready. I can only ask, as a mutual friend, that you hear him out."

Lilly smiled. "I have to get going. Thanks, Doc."

The Doctor nodded. "Have a safe journey."

Lilly met up with Jackson, and the two of them proceeded to Robbie Ray's SUV, where Lilly tossed her bag in the back and jumped in.

"Any preference on tunes?" asked Jackson as he started up the car.

"Got any Radiohead?" requested Lilly.

Jackson punched in a few commands on his MP3 player. "Coming up. Train is now leaving the station for BFN, San Bernardino County, California."

Lilly and Jackson had avoided a considerable amount of traffic by leaving early in the morning, and cruised at a leisurely pace along the Santa Monica Freeway. As they merged onto I-15 near Rancho Cucamonga, Jackson's default playlist resumed, and "Pumpin' Up the Party" began to play it.

"How'd that get in there?" Jackson said sheepishly as he tried to change the track before Lilly playfully smacked his hand away.

"I knew it!" taunted Lilly. "I always knew you were a closet Hannah Montana fan!"

"Of course I'm a fan," admitted Jackson. "I care about my sister and I support her dream. But I can't exactly admit that when I'm hanging with the guys, now can I?"

"I suppose not," conceded Lilly. "But you could've confided in me."

"I don't think Miley would've liked that very much," explained Jackson. "As much as we tormented each other, we always respected each other's turf."

"Jackson, I'm nobody's 'turf,'" protested Lilly.

"You're right," apologized Jackson. "Poor choice of words."

"It's okay; I know what you meant," assured Lilly. "But things have changed, and you and I are in this together."

Jackson smiled. "If I'm gonna be part of a conspiracy, I couldn't ask for a better co-conspirator."

Throughout the trip, Lilly and Jackson yammered on about a variety of different subjects. As they neared Barstow, the topic had shifted to Lt. Commander Lira's Starfleet career.

"So this Braxton sounds like a real piece of work," observed Jackson.

"Tell me about it," agreed Lilly. "I had a cousin serving aboard the _Aeon _who filed an ethnic-harassment grievance against him for calling her a 'quasi-Cardassian totalitarian.' Naturally, I thought that was completely uncalled-for, so I gave him a piece of my mind. He said he since he was Betazoid on his mother's side, he still harbored some animosity from the Dominion War. Considering my Bajoran father married my Cardassian mother, I wasn't buying that excuse."

"Speaking of which, I think Lazura is a really pretty name."

"Thanks. It's Cardassian, the common name for a species of flower native to Cardassia Prime. Think you can guess what it's Terran name is?"

"Let me see," pondered Jackson. "The Cardassian Lily, perhaps?"

"Very good," praised Lilly. "I guess it's a namesake that followed me from one life to the next."

"Well, that makes sense," stated Jackson.

"How do you figure?"

"You may have lived two different lives, but you're still you."

Lilly and Jackson arrived at the lab at around 11 in the morning. Jackson managed to find most of what Rico needed unassisted, so he left Lilly to scavenge for anything she might deem useful.

"Hey Jackson, come check this out," called Lilly. Jackson dropped what he was doing and came to see what Lilly had found.

"What is it?" asked Jackson, looking at a device about two meters wide that resembled an overgrown snare drum.

"It's a prototype transporter pad," revealed Lilly. "I doubt it could've sent anything more complex than a brick, but it's still an incredible piece of engineering for this time period."

"Should we load it up?" asked Jackson.

"Nah, we can't spare the cargo space."

"Alright, but we should let Rico know. It might be useful."

Lilly's expression became more somber. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I want to help the Doctor, but I also have a duty to protect the timeline. I think Rico's sincere in his desire to help, but he might not be able to resist the temptation to exploit this technology commercially."

"If you're so worried about the timeline, why are you telling me anything?" asked Jackson.

Lilly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Because I trust you."

Between filling the cab of the SUV clear to the back of the front seats, as well as the roof rack, and taking breaks sitting in the vehicle's air conditioning, the sun had begun to set by the time Lilly and Jackson finished.

"I guess we should get going," suggested Lilly.

"I'm in no hurry to get back," responded Jackson. "Let's stay awhile."

"Um, okay," agreed Lilly. "What would you like to do?"

"I'd like you to show me more of your world."

The two of them climbed upon the roof of the lab building, and laid down to look at the sky. Jackson rolled up and jacket to prop up his head, and Lilly rested her head upon Jackson for cushioning. At least that's what she told herself. They saw a good many more stars than could be seen in Malibu, which made Lilly grateful that Jackson had thought of it.

"That one," said Lilly as she guided Jackson's hand to a particular star. "Is actually a cluster. It contains the Cardassian system, which is where my mother's people come from, and the Cardassian system, where my father's people came from."

"'Mother and father,' not 'mom and dad?'" asked Jackson.

Lilly chuckled. "No, those titles belong to Dan and Heather Truscott. "

The two sat silent for awhile, enjoying one another's company, gazing at the stars.

"What are you thinking?" asked Lilly.

"I was wondering if you were married in your old life," admitted Jackson.

Lilly sighed. "I'm afraid not. Life in Starfleet isn't exactly conducive to long-term relationships. No, I'm afraid Oliver Oken is the latest in a long string of dating disasters."

Jackson sat up, and Lilly followed suit. Jackson turned to face her.

"It doesn't have to be that way forever," offered Jackson.

"I don't see how not," argued Lilly, turning her face away. "If Oliver couldn't accept me, who can?"

Jackson took her by the chin and turned her face back toward him.

"I will," declared Jackson. "I've always known you were an exceptional woman. It's only been in the last few weeks that I've realized just how incredible you are."

Lilly realized at that moment that the Doctor had been right. The young man sitting with her under the desert sky had found it in his heart to make her seventeenth birthday a truly special day. Jackson had kept that place in his heart open for her, and she knew he would never abandon her.

Lilly offered no resistance, but instead closed her eyes and welcomed Jackson into her mouth as he kissed her.

**End of Chapter Five**

_A/N: I was waiting to see the episode "Can't Get Home to You, Girl" to see what it meant for Lilly and Jackson. To my delight, it played right into my vision for them. Stay tuned!_


	6. Chapter 6

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Six

Since I-15 was the main route into Southern California from points north and east, Jackson encountered a significant amount of traffic even at that late hour. Throughout the journey, he kept one eye on the road, and the other on his beautiful Lily, dimly illuminated by the dashboard lights as she slept.

Jackson thought back upon the events of the day. He and Lilly had certainly grown closer than ever before. They had looked up at the stars together, Jackson had confessed his feelings for her, and they had kissed. Still, only time would tell if these events would lead to something deeper, or if Lilly would simply write them off as a mistake.

They arrived in front of Lilly's house at about two in the morning, with Lilly still asleep. Jackson parked the vehicle, then came around to the passenger side and gently ran his finger's along her cheekbone.

"Mmm," she cooed as she slowly awoke. "Are we there yet?" she said, barely audible.

"Yeah, we're here," confirmed Jackson. Lilly hopped out of the SUV, surprised to see her own house.

"What about the hardware?" asked Lilly.

"We can unload it later," recommended Jackson. "As for right now, I could use a little rack time."

"Maybe we can do this again sometime," offered Jackson as he and Lilly arrived at the door.

Lilly nodded. "Preferably something not quite so labor-intensive."

They both laughed, which trailed off in a bit of awkward giggling. They hugged, then drew apart just far enough for a chaste, yet satisfying kiss. Lilly waited just inside the door as Jackson headed back to the SUV, then waved goodbye as he drove off.

By the following Wednesday, the group had finished assembling the necessary components, and were ready to bring the Doctor's new power source online.

"Computer, activate EMH," commanded Lilly, and the Doctor appeared.

"Where's my holo-buffer?" asked the Doctor.

"It's in a van in the driveway," explained Lilly. "You can go anywhere with a hundred meters of it. It's not a mobile emitter, per se, but it should give you a bit more mobility."

"Mobile emitter?" echoed the Doctor.

Lilly sighed. "I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to get your hopes up. Federation time-shuttles carry a battery of mobile holographic emitters. They're about the size of a cell phone battery, and they allow a shuttle to carry up to twenty photonic crew members. I was hoping to find one at the lab, but as I suspected, Starling already pilfered anything useful from the time shuttle, and made sure it was out of reach."

"Disappointing, to be sure," lamented the Doctor. "But I'm grateful for what you've come up with."

"I think it's high-time we gave the Doc a tour," suggested Robbie Ray.

"Actually, I was hoping to see Hollywood from an insider's perspective," requested the Doctor.

"How do you mean?" asked Miley, sensing that what the Doctor was getting at involved her.

"It's my understanding that Mr. Suave originally sold you this equipment with the intention of creating a holographic Hannah Montana double. It would take a simple realignment of my image and vocal subroutines..Perhaps I could do more than simply serve hot dogs at Rico's."

"Hey!" protested Rico.

"Bite your tongue, twerp," retorted Miley. "This is part of our agreement."

"Dang flabbit!" exclaimed Rico, co-opting a Stewart family euphemism.

"Okay, so you can look and sound like Hannah," granted Miley. "But can you _be _Hannah?"

The Doctor grinned. "I'll have you know my extra-curricular activities include acting. I've spent most of my time here in your company, and my built-in Internet connection has allowed me to research the Hannah Montana persona extensively."

"You're not seriously considering this?" protested Rico.

"I suggest you quit whining and get to work, son," admonished Robbie Ray.

With Miley and Robbie Ray working with Rico on creating a Hannah template for the Doctor, Lilly and Jackson had a good deal of free time to enjoy one another's company. They decided to take a break from the beach and go for a short day hike in Griffith Park.

"I can't remember the last time I did this," observed Jackson.

"I can," answered Lilly. "It was the Seaview Middle School camping trip. That was an unmitigated disaster."

"Yeah, Miley told me about that. It sounds like it might actually have been okay without Ashley and Amber."

Lilly snorted. "Those two aren't even a blip on my radar anymore. They obviously don't care about anyone except themselves. Honestly, I don't know why I ever gave people like that the time of day."

Jackson smiled. "Besides which, you have lots of people who care about you."

"Well, that's what I mean. I've always had my family. And your dad and Miley." Lilly took Jackson's hand. "And now I have you."

"You always had me."

Lilly giggled. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," said Jackson, still not entirely sure. He knew there was something between him and Lilly, but he still couldn't put his finger on it. Had he finally found "the one," or were they simply "friends with benefits?" Jackson decided then and there that he had to know for sure. The wheels of his mind began to turn, contemplating the right opportunity, which would present itself soon enough.

"Alright, Doc," said Miley the next day. "Are you ready to try me on?"

Robbie Ray and the Doctor glared at Miley, while the rest of the group snickered.

"That didn't come out right at all," giggled Lilly.

"Ya think?" snarked Miley. "Never mind. Let's just fire it up already."

The Doctor shrank several centimeters in height before acquiring a feminine form, blonde hair, and the costume of a rock star, complete with Hannah's single-grove Michael Jackson homage.

"Well, take a look at yourself," prompted Miley, gesturing the Doctor toward a mirror.

"Oh yeah!" said the Doctor, nodding and grinning in true Hannah style, pulling off her accent and intonations flawlessly. "I look _good _as a blonde."

"She'll do," said Miley, standing beside the Doctor and admiring the two of them in the mirror.

"So what'd you have in mind for your debut?" asked Robbie Ray.

"It's my understanding...blech..." the Doctor stopped himself, deciding his normal stilted dialogue didn't sound right in Miley's voice. "Computer, load default vocal subroutines." The Doctor continued in his own voice. "It's my understanding that you have a Hannah Montana engagement this coming Saturday."

"Yeah, the Lake Tahoe show," confirmed Robbie Ray. "But you should know, Doc, Hannah does her own singing."

"Of course," agreed the Doctor. "However, my research indicates that there are a number of conspiracy theorists with a variety of hypotheses as to the true identity of Hannah Montana. Perhaps we could discredit the theory involving Jake Ryan's on-again, off-again girlfriend."

Miley scratched her chin. "We've thought about doing something like that in the past, but we could never find a double who looked enough like me. You, on the other hand, are the spitting image of Hannah. We might just be able to pull this off."

"Mother of Aunt Pearl," exclaimed Robbie Ray with a roll of the eyes. "Why do I let myself get talked into these crazy schemes?"

Robbie got his usual answer as Miley ran up and hugged him.

"So Lilly," said Jackson as Robbie and Miley began their negotiations for Rico's services as holographic engineer for the event. "Since Miley and Hannah are going to be BFFs for the Tahoe show, I was wondering if perhaps Lola might join me for dinner here at Chez Stewart."

"Jackson, are you asking me out?" said Lilly with a seductive smile on her face.

"Actually, I believe I'm asking you _in_," Jackson teasingly corrected.

"Sounds good," agreed Lilly. "It's a date."

"A date?" asked Jackson, still somewhat shocked that she'd actually agreed to it. "An actual date?"

Lilly couldn't helped but be charmed by Jackson's insecurity. "Yes, Jackson, an actual date."

"Sweet!" exclaimed Jackson. Lilly laughed as Jackson did his happy-dance.

Saturday morning came sooner than expected, and the group soon found themselves busy with preparations, both for the Doctor's debut performance as a holographic double, and Jackson and Lilly's big date.

"There's nothing to worry about," assured the Doctor. "As long as you follow my instructions precisely, it will turn out perfectly."

"I don't know, Doc," doubted Jackson. "I'm not really that great at cooking. Maybe I should've just taken her out."

"Nonsense," argued the Doctor. "I think the two of you have done quite enough beating around the bush. Under these unusual circumstances, I believe an intimate dinner for two is just what the Doctor ordered, if you'll excuse the pun."

"Right," agreed Jackson. "Preheat oven to 350, bake the casserole for twenty minutes, microwave the vegetable medley on high for ten minutes."

"Very good," approved the Doctor. "And the wine?"

"It's in the fridge, take it out and put it on ice ten minutes before she arrives. I have one of those idiot-proof corkscrews."

"Excellent. Now, I believe all that remains is the musical selection."

The Doctor brought up a playlist on the Stewarts' entertainment center.

"Doc, I don't think Lilly likes classical music very much."

The Doctor groaned. "I thought perhaps you might say that. Very well, if not classical, then classic rock." The Doctor brought up another playlist. "This is a selection of rock ballads that my shipmate Tom Paris enjoys. Although in retrospect, I realize most of these songs came out before either of you were born."

"No, it's perfect!" approved Jackson as he looked over the selection.

"I'm glad you approve. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get into costume. Ready when you are, Mr. Suave."

"Roger that," said Rico from his station in the van, monitoring the Doctor's audio subroutines through a headset. "Loading costume for act one."

The Doctor's Starfleet uniform changed into the coveralls and trucking cap of a Hannah Montana contractor, an outfit Robbie Ray also wore.

"I assure you, I'm quite capable of driving," pleaded the Doctor as Robbie Ray took the driver's seat in the van.

"I'm sure you can," argued Robbie. "But I don't wanna take any chances in case we get pulled over."

"Very well," capitulated the Doctor, taking the shotgun seat. The van then departed for Lake Tahoe.

That afternoon, Jackson drove Miley to the airport, where she would catch a flight to Tahoe, where she would rendezvous with her father.

"Does it feel weird?" asked Jackson.

"Does what feel weird?" replied Miley.

"Going to a Hannah Montana gig as Miley."

"Yeah, it does, kind of," admitted Miley. "But it's kind of a thrill, too. I've always been Hannah Montana, or Jake Ryan's girlfriend, or somebody else in front of all those people. But when I got to be myself in front of all those people back in Tennessee, it was like a breath of fresh air. And now I'm getting a chance to do that again."

Jackson nodded. "It's kind of ironic. The Doctor's posing as Hannah Montana. Lilly's an alien posing as a teenage girl from Malibu. It's weird, but sometimes the mask lets you be yourself."

"I guess I never thought of it that way," noted Miley. "Speaking of Lilly, you look about as nervous as turkey in Uncle Earl's coop during Thanksgiving week."

Jackson chuckled anxiously. "Yeah, not like I can hide it. I've been on a lot of dates. Some more successful than others."

Both of them laughed at that sentiment.

"But Lilly's different," continued Jackson. "I've never gone out with somebody I care about this much. Miley, I'm scared to death that I'm going to say or do something stupid and lose her forever."

"That's not gonna happen," assured Miley.

"How could you possibly know that?"

Miley took a deep breath. "I never told you this, but a few years ago, I had a dream that you and Lilly got together. At the time, I chalked it up to anxiety over my appearance on the Mac & Mickey Show. But I've seen what a train-wreck her relationship with Oliver was, and I've watched the two of you together over the past few weeks. I realize now that my subconscious knew something I didn't."

"And all this means what?" asked Jackson.

"It means that you and Lilly were meant for each other," clarified Miley. "And it was stupid of me to try and keep the two of you apart."

Jackson smiled, and his nerves settled a bit. "I really appreciate that."

Miley had sent most of her luggage ahead with her holographic team, so she had only a small carry-on bag. Nonetheless, Jackson put on his four-ways so he could give his sister a brief goodbye hug before shuffling along, lest he run afoul of TSA.

Jackson made his way home as quickly as he could without risking a speeding ticket. When he arrived, he preheated the oven and removed the casserole from the refrigerator. He then ran upstairs, showered, subjected himself to a bathroom ritual that would put Miley to shame, and finally donned his shirt and tie. He placed the casserole in the oven so that the food would be ready a few minutes after Lilly arrived.

As their agreed meeting time approached, Jackson made a last minute check. The house was clean and vacuumed, the lights had been subdued, music was playing, candles were lit, and a bouquet of flowers sat ready, along with a vase for Lilly to put them in. No sooner had he completed these checks than the doorbell rang.

"I'll be damned," muttered Jackson to himself. "Right on time."

**End of Chapter Six**

_You wanna see the big date and the Doctor's public debut? Of course you do, but you'll have to stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Seven

Miley arrived at the Lake Tahoe Airport, where she immediately spotted a limo driver holding a card with her name. 

_Showtime_, thought Miley to herself.

"I'm Miley Stewart," announced Miley.

"Right this way, Miss Stewart," replied the driver as he took Miley's carry-on bag. "You must be really excited to meet Hannah."

"You have no idea," said Miley.

Miley entered the limo, trying her best to act as though it were a novelty for her. Inside, she found her father, already in costume.

"Where's Rico and the Doc?" asked Miley.

"Already in place," answered Robbie Ray.

"And the driver?"

"He ain't the brightest lamp in the chandelier, but he'll play ball."

"Good," said Miley. "I've been in this business long enough to know that there's ten thousand things that can go wrong on any given night."

"I know that's right," agreed Robbie.

As far as venues Hannah had played, the Lake Tahoe Coliseum tended toward the small side. Nonetheless, there was no shortage of adoring fans. Indeed, the walkway lined with temporary fences, security guards, and wall-to-wall fans could easily have been he Hubert Humphrey Metrodome to the casual observer. As soon as they arrived, the Doctor appeared beside her, already in costume.

"Took ya long enough," snarked holo-Hannah.

"Don't bury yourself in the part," retorted Miley.

"I can't help it. I'm a method actor."

"Well, in that case, Hannah, let's get this party started."

Out of the limousine emerged a sight that, until then, the world had never seen: Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana, arm-in-arm. Robbie Ray began his customary slow shuffle, bringing up the rear as holo-Hannah greeting fans with both hands, occasionally pausing to sign an autograph.

"I gotta admit it," muttered Robbie to himself, "He really sells it."

After what seemed like an eternity, the two girls arrived in Hannah's dressing room, where Miley set forthwith about donning her Hannah costume.

"Could I get a little privacy here?" requested Miley.

Holo-Hannah rolled her holographic eyes. "Beam me up, Rico."

With that, holo-Hannah disappeared and reappeared inside the van.

"I don't think Miley realizes I can see everything within range of the holo-emitters," Rico said smugly.

"Turn that off this instant!" insisted the Doctor, appalled by Rico's voyeurism.

"Fine," sulked Rico as he redirected the relevant monitor to some technical readouts. "You people never let me have any fun."

"Hannah to Rico," came the rock star's voice about twenty minutes later. "We're ready for holo-Miley."

"Roger that," replied Rico. "Loading Miley Stewart template."

The Doctor's blonde hair turned brown, and his outfit changed to the one Miley had just set aside, effectively transforming holo-Hannah into holo-Miley. A moment later, holo-Miley disappeared from the van and reappeared in Hannah's dressing room. From thence, they proceeded to the backstage area.

"Five minutes," announced a stage-hand as they arrived. The two girls took a few minutes to greet the opening band as they made their way backstage.

"How's it going, Cory?" asked Hannah, shaking the hand of Cory Baxter, the drummer for DC3.

"It's going all right," replied Cory. "And yourself?"

"Can't complain. Hey, I'd like you to meet my new friend Miley."

"Enchante," greeted Cory, kissing holo-Miley's hand.

"Two minutes," interrupted the stage hand.

"I guess we'd better get going," said Cory.

"Catch you guys after the show?" asked Hannah.

"Can't," regretted Cory. "Have to head back to Reno to catch our flight. It was good seeing you," Cory turned back for one last word before leaving. "Oh, I don't know about you, but I think Oken was asking for it when his shorty decked him."

Hannah smiled at these words of vindication for her best friend.

"Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together, for Hannah Montana!" announced the announcer as Hannah and holo-Miley made their way onto the stage. Holo-Miley paused took take in the bright lights and the screaming fans. _ I could get used to this_, she thought to herself.

"Good evening, Lake Tahoe," greeted Hannah. "Y'all remember my good friend Jackson Stewart, right?"

The audience cheered in the affirmative.

"Well, tonight we have his little sister, my friend, Miley Stewart. She's gonna show us some of her moves, so give her a big hand."

Holo-Miley took her place among the backup dancers as Hannah launched into "Rock Star," her favorite leading number.

Meanwhile, back at the Stewart house, Jackson answered the door to greet Lilly, who sported a look that could only be described as sexy. She had her blonde hair done up, with two small strands of it falling on either side of her head, and she wore a black Holly Golightly dress that accentuated her figure, with black high-heels to match.

_Indeed_, thought Jackson, _a classic never dies_.

"You look amazing," complimented Jackson, still catching his breath.

"Thanks," replied Lilly. "You're looking pretty sharp yourself."

"Thank you," said Jackson as he handed Lilly her bouquet. "By all means, come in!"

Lilly took a moment to smell her flowers before placing them in the vase Jackson had provided.

"Can I get you anything?" offered Jackson as he escorted Lilly to the couch. Though she'd sat upon that couch many times before, something felt different about it. Something felt different about the entire setting. A good kind of different.

"No thanks," Lilly politely declined. "Whatever's in the oven smells good, though."

"It should be ready in a few minutes," informed Jackson. "I hope you're hungry."

"Are you kidding? I haven't had a chance to eat all day. The Doctor's been going on and on about how incredible the Central Valley and the Sierras are."

"Only the Doctor would think the Central Valley is anything special," noted Jackson with a chuckle.

"And of course, he describes it with clinical detail."

"Kind of makes you wish Miley hadn't taught him how to TXT, doesn't it?"

"Totally!"

Just then, the oven timer sounded.

"Well, I think we're just about ready," announced Jackson as escorted Lilly to the table and pulled out a chair for her.

"If you'll excuse me for just one second."

Jackson prepared a plate of food for Lilly and placed it in front of her, then returned a moment later with his own plate. He then poured the wine before taking his seat.

"What should we drink to?" asked Lilly.

Jackson raised his glass. "To friends and family, whatever corner of the galaxy they might come from."

"Here, here," agreed Lilly as she clinked glasses with Jackson.

Meanwhile, back in Lake Tahoe, Hannah finished her second set, and told a few anecdotes as the stage crew wheeled the grand piano out onto the stage.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," announced Hannah. "For our last set, I'd like to welcome a special guest performer. Ladies and gentlemen, Cousin Dave from Canada."

The audience cheered as the Doctor entered the stage, in his original form, except clad in a tuxedo with tails. The Doctor began the piano part for "One in a Million" as normal. However, as Hannah approached the chorus, he added his own special improvisations and embellishments. After the second chorus, they made the song sixty seconds longer to allow for a longer piano solo.

Hannah and the Doctor took their leave after a single encore, the audience still cheering as they made their way back toward the dressing rooms.

"Did we really have to leave?" asked the Doctor. "I'm sure we could've given them at least two more encores."

"Cardinal rule of performing, Doc," informed Miley. "Always leave 'em wanting more."

The Doctor nodded in agreement as he changed back into holo-Hannah, taking his time greeting the fans outside, again shaking hands and signing the occasional autograph. Once she'd changed back into her mild-mannered identity, Miley relished the opportunity to make a discreet exit as an ordinary civilian. She filtered through the crowds and made her way over to an adjacent side road, where the nondescript sedan they had arranged earlier awaited her. She got in and headed back for the hotel.

No sooner had Miley entered her hotel room and flopped down on the bed. When she heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" she croaked.

"It's me," announced the Doctor. Miley groaned.

"Come in."

The Doctor materialized in front of her.

"Thank you for knocking before doing that," thanked Miley, not getting up from her position.

"I'm sure you're eager to rest, so I won't keep you too long," assured the Doctor. "But I did want to thank you for the opportunity to perform in your last set."

Miley sat up and smiled. "You helped me be myself today. The least I could do is return the favor."

"I'm glad I could be of service," replied the Doctor. "Good night."

"Good night, Doc."

Meanwhile, Jackson and Lilly had finished dinner and retired to the living room.

"Jackson, I don't mind saying that was the best chicken enchilada casserole I've ever had," complimented Lilly.

"I'm glad you liked it," replied Jackson.

"And the strawberry cheesecake was orgasmic," beamed Lilly.

Jackson laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I've never heard you use that word before."

"Well, I've never eaten anything that could be described that way before."

Jackson sighed. "I have a confession to make. I had a little help. A lot of help, actually."

"I know," revealed Lilly. "I overheard you asking the Doctor for tips."

"Yeah, well one thing my time with you has taught me is that I should never be ashamed to ask for help."

"Wow," exclaimed Lilly. "I thought I was just helping you with your calculus homework. I had no idea I'd taught you anything so profound."

"I should've known you had it in you. I should've realized a long time ago."

Jackson placed a hand upon Lilly's cheek, then gently rubbed his thumb along the area where her spoon-like cranial formation would have been.

Lilly gasped. "Jackson."

"Yes?"

"I'm sure you didn't realize this, but that's a very intimate touch for a Cardassian."

"I know," admitted Jackson. "Cooking wasn't the only thing I asked the Doc for advice on. I'll stop if you want."

"No," said Lilly. "But you're going to touch me like that, be sure you really mean it."

"Of course I mean it," declared Jackson. "Lilly, I love you. I've loved you for a long time."

"You mean before you knew I was an alien?"

"Yes. I always knew you were special. Now I see there's no one in this solar system more special than you. You've always your own perspective on everything. Now I know why. Lilly, I don't deserve you. I don't think there's a man alive who deserves you. But if you'll give me a chance..."

"Shut up," interrupted Lilly, pulling Jackson's face forward and attacking his mouth, stealing his breath.

"I love you, Lilly," reiterated Jackson as he caught his breath.

"I love you, too, Jackson," confessed Lilly, her voice quivering a bit.

Jackson and Lilly spent a few more moments exploring one another's mouths. Jackson then slowly kissed his way down to the nape of her neck, then back up the side of her face, before gently kissing that magic spot on her forehead.

"You're so beautiful," marveled Jackson as he paused for a moment to gaze into Lilly's green eyes.

"My hearts are beating so fast," reported Lilly.

"You have more than one?"

"Uh huh," gasped Lilly. "It's a smaller one, two chambers, near the base of mine spine."

Lilly hiked up her dress a bit and guided Jackson's hand to the spot just above her buttocks where her secondary heartbeat could be felt. She placed his other hand between her breasts. Jackson marveled at the counterpoint formed by the separate rhythms of Lilly's two hearts.

"They both belong to you," declared Lilly.

The combination of feeling Lilly's twin heartbeats, their mutual declaration of their love for one another, and the fact that he was touching the woman he loved in a way more intimate than he'd ever done before became too much for Jackson to bear. Jackson decided that, if she were willing, Lilly would be fully his that night. Lilly gasped with excitement, as Jackson scooped her up and carried her up the stairs, Rhett Butler-style. Lilly knew at that moment that she wanted this as much as Jackson did, and the reality that it was really going to happen finally hit as they reached their destination.

"Oh Jackson!" cried Lilly. "You cleaned your room for me!"

**End of Chapter Seven**

_I definitely had to push the limits of my T rating with that one, but it was worth it. Stay tuned!_


	8. Chapter 8

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Eight

Jackson awoke the next morning with a face full of blonde hair. He rejoiced inwardly, knowing now that previous night hadn't been a dream. He brushed her hair aside, and playfully nibbled on her ear, causing her to giggle as she woke up.

"Morning, handsome," giggled Lilly, still waking up.

"Morning, gorgeous," he replied.

Lilly rolled to face him. They spent a moment gazing into one another's eyes. They drew their faces close together and kissed. Lilly laughed as she broke the kiss.

"What's so funny?" demanded Jackson.

"Your breath is ferocious," said Lilly.

"Yeah, well yours isn't much better," countered Jackson

They both laughed and decided they didn't care, diving in for another kiss. Hands began to roam, and as one event lead to another, they made love again.

Afterward, Jackson took a few moments to admire Lilly in her post-coital glow.

"What time is it?" asked Lilly.

Jackson strained his neck to catch a glimpse at his alarm clock. "Almost eleven."

"You sure the others won't be back soon?"

"Nah, Miley's riding back with the van. They won't be home until late tonight."

"Good," approved Lilly.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. I would've slept better if you didn't snore like a jackhammer," teased Lilly.

"I do not!" protested Jackson.

"Like heck you don't," countered Lilly. "It's okay. I can get used to it."

"Last night was pretty incredible, huh?"

"Mmm," agreed Lilly. "And this morning. It's not often a girl gets lose her virginity twice."

"You know, technically..." started Jackson, before realizing what she meant. "Oh, never mind. I get it. Yeah, I kind of figured you'd been with other guys in your old life. As long as I don't have to hear about them, it's cool."

"Deal," agreed Lilly. Jackson decided the fact that she hadn't gone all the way with Oliver was consolation enough for him.

Lilly and Jackson hopped into the shower together. Jackson then threw on some clothes and went downstairs to start breakfast while Lilly raided Miley's closet for something to wear. She arrived downstairs just as the french toast and bacon were ready.

"You look worried," observed Lilly, after eating in silence for a few minutes.

"Yeah, I forgot to ask if you were on the pill," explained Jackson.

"Oh," said Lilly as a certain sadness crept into her voice. "You don't have to worry about that. I have so many different species in my family tree that I can't conceive without medical help."

"I'm sorry," consoled Jackson.

"It's probably for the best," resigned Lilly. "Considering humanity won't encounter the Bajorans or the Cardassians for another two hundred years, it wouldn't do to have a bunch of hybrid kids running around."

"Yeah," agreed Jackson. "It's not like you don't have options."

Lilly reached across the table and took Jackson's hand. "You mean _we _have options."

"You want to have kids with me?" asked Jackson.

"Yes," answered Lilly. "I hope I'm not asking too much."

"No, I want that too," stated Jackson. "I just didn't know if you were ready to make that kind of commitment."

"I wouldn't have gone to bed with you if I wasn't," elaborated Lilly. "I'm done playing games. Oliver made me realize that. Please say you'll go the distance with me."

Jackson came around the table and put his arms around Lilly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"You know I will," promised Jackson. "I love you."

"I love you too," confessed Lilly, with tears in her eyes. "So much."

Late that evening, Miley, Rico, the Doctor, and Robbie Ray arrived home, where they found Lilly and Jackson watching a movie, with his arm around her. Miley winked at Lilly, realizing the fact that Lilly was wearing her clothes indicated that her date with Jackson had gone extremely well.

"How'd everything go?" asked Jackson.

"I'll admit, I had my doubts," reported Robbie Ray. "But the Doc knocked 'em dead. Especially with that press conference this morning."

"I'm just glad to be of service," said the Doctor, wearing his usual smug grin and air of false modesty.

Rico brought up the rear as he finished a cell phone conversation.

"Well, Doc," announced Rico. "I suggest you live it up while you can, 'cause in a few weeks, you're going home."

"I beg your pardon," asked the Doctor.

"I've been working out some power optimizations for your holo-matrix. I also have a contact at a nuclear power plant that's about to come online in Mexico. If we charge up that EPS cell, and throw in a few more nuclear batteries, we should be able to keep your matrix active in power-save mode for at least four hundred years."

The various members of the group cheered. All, that is, except the Doctor.

"What's the matter, Doc?" asked Miley. "I thought you'd be happy."

"It's certainly good news," granted the Doctor. "But my time here, for the most part, has been intensely fulfilling. I shall miss this place, and I shall miss all of you...even Mr. Suave."

Rico donned a smug grin.

"Well, Doc, I think I speak for all of us when I said we're gonna miss you too," declared Robbie. "But it's not over yet. Hannah's got a packed schedule this week, so like the man said, live it up!"

"And on that note, it's been a long weekend. I'm gonna go home and get some shut-eye," announced Rico as he made his exit.

"I'd better get going, too," added Lilly. "I've got some fast talking to do when I get home."

"I'll say," snarked Robbie Ray, shaking his head.

"Thanks, Doc," said Lilly.

"Yeah, for everything," added Jackson.

"It was apparent to me that the two of you were an ideal match," replied the Doctor. "I simply nudged you in the right direction.

"I need to have a serious talk with that boy," commented Robbie Ray after Jackson had left to take Lilly home.

"Yeah, I don't like the thought of those two getting busy across the hall from me," added Miley. "But Jackson's in college, and Lilly's older than you. It's not like we can stop them."

"You're probably right," conceded Robbie. "But we're definitely gonna have to lay down some ground rules."

"Agreed," said Miley.

Later that week, Miley came down to the seating area in front of Rico's to find Lilly, her attention divided between her magazine and the boy behind the counter.

"What's Jackson doing here?" asked Miley.

"The Doctor's been doing Hannah appearances all week, so Rico's letting him cover the Doc's shift to make a few bucks until he can find a better job," explained Lilly.

"Why's he looking for a job?" pondered Miley, surprised to see anything that resembled ambition in her brother.

"He wants to get his own place," elaborated Lilly. "Given the rules your dad has about what goes on under his roof, Jackson figured it was time."

"Are you figuring on moving in with him?"

"Eventually, but I think we'll wait until after we're married."

"Married? You can't possibly be thinking that far ahead."

"I know our relationship is hard for you to accept," sympathized Lilly. "But I've waited a long time for someone like Jackson. Miley, he's the one. I just wasn't ready to admit it until now."

"I accepted your relationship long before it actually happened," argued Miley. "But if you're sure that you and Jackson are in it for the long haul, then I'm happy for both of you."

Lilly leaned over and side-hugged her best friend. It was then that Miley noticed a page had been torn out of her magazine. Having read the same magazine the previous day, she knew it to be a short article detailing Oliver Oken's announcement that he and Mikalya were officially a couple.

"Lilly, I'm sorry," comforted Miley.

"It's okay, I'm not upset," assured Lilly. "I'm done shedding tears over that waste of carbon. Now I just don't want to think about him. I think it's best, for my sake and for Jackson's, if I just leave Oliver in the past where he belongs."

"Now you're talking," approved Miley.

The following Monday, Lilly arrived at school to find the Doctor's van parked out front.

"Hello, there," greeted Miley's voice from behind her.

"Doc, is that you?" asked Lilly.

"Indeed," confirmed holo-Miley. "Hannah's performing the ribbon cutting for a new ride at Knott's Berry Farm. For a change of pace, I thought I might experience a day in the life of a twenty-first century high school senior."

"Are you sure you can handle this?" worried Lilly as they walked along.

"I assure you, Miley's academic regimen poses no challenge whatsoever," boasted holo-Miley.

"That's not what I meant," argued Lilly. "High school kids are vicious."

"As I recall, you and Miley recently agreed, quite aptly, that their opinions are of no import."

"You're right," agreed Lilly. "Did Rico tell you the news?"

"Yes, the additional power cells he ordered should arrive some time this week, and the EPS cell will be finished charging by the end of next week."

"It's gonna be weird not having you around," commented Lilly.

"You're all capable, intelligent people of good character," complimented holo-Miley. "I have no doubt you will prosper in all of your endeavors."

"We'll miss you just the same," said Lilly. "Now get into character. It's showtime."

Throughout the day, Lilly and holo-Miley walked arm-in-arm and grinned smugly, prancing about the school like they owned the place. They found, for the most part, that most of the student body had abandoned their scorn for Lilly and moved on to other trivial matters. Unfortunately, this did not include Ashley and Amber.

"Well, if it isn't Leila Ali, going ten rounds with her pretty-boy ex," taunted Amber as the girls walked by.

"Just ignore them," muttered Lilly.

"Oh, wait, that's old news," added Ashley. "Word around the ladies room is blondie here is doing the horizontal tango with the Tennessee Toxic Wonder."

"Ooh," they said in unison, making a sizzling noise as they touched forefingers.

"That's it," screamed holo-Miley, who could suffer no more aspersions to be cast upon her friends. She grabbed Amber by the fabric between her breasts and shoved her up against a locker.

"Whoa, easy there!" pleaded Amber, genuinely scared. "I don't want any trouble."

"Listen to what I have to say, and there won't be any," threatened holo-Miley. Amber nodded rapidly in agreement.

"You are a pathetic, no-life shell of a human being," continued holo-Miley. "Sooner or later, deriving sadistic pleasure from the humiliation of others won't satisfy you. By then, you'll realize that it's too late. You'll be all alone, having alienated anyone and everyone who might have genuinely cared for you. Do you want that?"

Amber cast her face down and shook her head.

"Then I suggest you make a long, hard reexamination of your life. In the meantime, my friends and I would prefer to be left alone. Are we clear?"

"Yeah," said Amber. "We're clear."

"Good," said holo-Miley, letting go of Amber. "If you'll excuse us, we'd best be getting to class."

"What a bitch!" said Ashley after the girls were out of earshot.

"Shut your hole, Ashley," commanded Amber. "It's time to grow up."

"You know, I don't think Miley would've stood up to Ashley and Amber the way you did," hypothesized Lilly.

"She may have refrained from doing so," argued holo-Miley. "But I believe she's always had it within her."

Suddenly, holo-Miley changed back into the Doctor, whose image then flickered rapidly.

"Something's wrong with my holo-matrix," observed the Doctor.

"I'll go see what's wrong," responded Lilly as she ran toward the van.

"Please hurry," called the Doctor, just before his image disappeared.

Lilly entered the van to find Rico lying unconscious on the floor. As she knelt down to help him, a man who had been hiding under the van emerged and fired an energy weapon, causing Lilly to fall unconscious as well.

"We've got her," radio the man to his partner across the street, who arrived a moment later.

"We should get rid of the boy," urged Lilly's assailant.

"You heard what the boss said," reminded his partner. "No unnecessary casualties. Is the power converter ready?"

The man nodded, and handed a device the size and shape of a shoebox, connected to the van's power core by a thick cable, to his partner, who placed it between Lilly's legs.

"Target locked," said the partner, reading from a hand-held device. "Energizing."

With that, Lilly disappeared in a transporter hue along with her kidnappers.

**End of Chapter Eight**

_Two more chapter,s, or perhaps three. Stay tuned!_


	9. Chapter 9

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Nine

Jackson and Robbie Ray arrived on the scene a few minutes after receiving Rico's urgent TXT message. They found Rico in the van, bouncing rapidly between tasks.

"What's the word?" asked Jackson. "Where's Lilly?"

"Trying to figure that out right now," reported Rico. "The holo-buffer lost power, so I had move fast to recover the Doctor's program. It was touch-and-go for a few minutes, but I got him."

"Unfortunately, we no longer have enough power to run my holo-emitters," added the Doctor, whose face appeared on one of the monitors. "I'm afraid we'll have to make do with this interface for the time being."

"Just what exactly happened here?" demanded Robbie Ray.

"We're not exactly sure," explained the Doctor, "But we found some kind of power conversion matrix connected directly to the vehicle's power grid. Lilly has a short-range site-to-site transporter implanted in her left thigh. It likely expended its power reserve when Lilly evacuated her shuttle sixteen years ago. We believe our assailants used the power converter to actuate the transporter."

"And just how did they know it was there?" inquired Robbie Ray, eying Rico suspiciously.

"It wasn't Rico's fault," defended the Doctor. "While reconfiguring the holo-buffer, Rico located a small subspace transceiver. He also found that the control software had been altered to allow continuous monitoring of my audiovisual subroutines. Both have deactivated themselves, but Rico's trying to reactivate the transceiver in order to get a fix on their location."

Just then, Rico's phone rang.

"Talk to me," answered Rico.

"I got your TXT," said Miley. "What's the emergency?"

"Can't say over the phone," obfuscated Rico. "Just meet us back at your place ASAP."

"On my way," replied Miley as she hung up.

Once they arrived, Rico transferred the Doctor's image to the Stewarts' TV monitor.

"How could you let this happen?" demanded Miley as she paced back and forth.

"And just what was I supposed to do against men armed with phasers?" defended Rico.

"That's not what I'm talking about," countered Miley. "If you'd inspected the merchandise before trying to sell it, you'd have found the bug."

"Maybe," granted Rico. "Yeah, I screwed up! I admit that. After we get Lilly back, you can do whatever you want with me."

"And just how do you figure on doing that?" inquired Miley.

"A nuclear surveillance satellite could be modified to detect the residual radiation characteristic of a recent transport," suggested the Doctor.

Rico shook his head. "My connections are good, but not that good."

"Even if we can find her, how are we supposed to get her back?" asked Robbie Ray.

"We could use the transporter pad!" suggested Jackson.

"Transporter pad?" asked Rico. "Nobody told me about any transporter pad."

"That's because Lilly didn't trust you," explained Jackson.

"Smart girl," commended Rico.

"Anyway," continued Jackson. "She said it couldn't transport anything more complicated than a brick, but I dunno, maybe we could upgrade it."

The Doctor nodded. "Early transporters could beam simple objects between two stationary platforms. That was prior to the invention of the pattern buffer. We could modify my holo-buffer for use as a pattern buffer. I wouldn't recommend it for long-term use, but it should be fine for a single trip."

"Wait just a darn minute!" cautioned Robbie Ray. "You're not suggesting we beam in there, guns blazing, are you?"

"I don't see as how we have any other option," argued the Doctor.

"Dang flabbit, Doc!" cursed Robbie. "I'm a country-boy, not a commando! Let's face it: We're in way over our heads here!"

"He's right," agreed Miley. "If we're gonna get Lilly back, Hannah's gonna have to call in some favors."

Meanwhile, in America's Capital, Cory Baxter ate lunch with his long-time best friends Newt Livingston and Meena Paroom. They had been discussing new songs for their debut album when Cory's phone rang.

"Excuse me," apologized Cory. "I've gotta take this."

"Hannah!" answered Cory. "What's up, baby....oh yeah, anything for you, doll....what....no, not possible...are you sure there's no other way....fine, consider it done."

"Hey, where ya going, dude?" asked Newt as Cory headed for Jason Sticker's table.

"To do something I'll regret for the rest of my life," answered Cory.

"Baxter!" greeted scrawny creeper with the slicked-over hair. "What I can do for you?"

"Stickler, I need to ask you a _huge _favor," Cory reluctantly requested.

"Sure thing," agreed Stickler. "But it'll cost you."

Cory rolled his eyes. "Don't it always?"

"You wanted to see me, Director?" greeted NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee as he entered Director Leon Vance's office.

"Close the door," instructed Vance. "Have a seat."

McGee did as instructed.

"What I'm about to ask of you," continued Vance, "is completely voluntary, off the payroll, and off the record. I'm asking this as a personal favor on behalf of myself and Deputy Director Stickler."

"Do you mean Aaron Stickler, Deputy Director of the CIA?" asked McGee.

Vance nodded. "The same. Some friends of his son's require assistance with a situation that can't be handled through official channels. You'll be briefed upon your arrival in Los Angeles."

"Yes, sir," agreed McGee. "You can count on me."

"Let me absolutely clear about this, McGee," warned Vance. "What we're doing here could be considered treason. Believe me when I tell you that this situation could jeopardize the security of the entire human race, and not even the highest officials of our government can be trusted to know about it."

McGee gulped. "I understand, sir. As I said, you can count on me."

"Very good," said Vance. "As of this moment, you're on administrative eave until further notice."

Vance handed McGee the FedEx envelope from Hannah Montana's management agency.

"For your cover story, you'll be meeting with Hannah as Thom E. Gemcity to discuss a song-writing project. The packet contains your airline and hotel reservations. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir," replied McGee as he left.

McGee arrived at LAX the next day, where a chauffeur holding a "Gemcity" sign met him. McGee followed him to the limo, which took him to a rest stop on I-15. Upon arrival, an SUV pulled up alongside the limo.

"Do you like blondes?" called Jackson Stewart from the driver's window.

McGee nodded. "I hear they're nice up in Montana."

Both parties having accepted the pass-phrase, McGee retrieved his overnight bag and got in the back seat, where he found Miley waiting for him.

"Agent McGee?" asked Miley.

"That's me," replied McGee. "You can call me Tim."

"I'm Miley Stewart," she introduced herself, shaking his hand.

"A run-of-the-mill high school senior who moonlights as Hannah Montana," added McGee.

"How did you..." Miley began to ask.

"I'm a federal investigator," interrupted McGee. "It's what I do."

"Fair enough," grated Miley. "Anyway, I should probably tell you why you're here."

"That would be nice."

"Rico?" said Miley, gesturing to the young man in the front seat.

"We need your help accessing military satellites to help locate a friend of ours who's been abducted," requested Rico.

"I can do that," agreed McGee. "Anything else?"

"She may have been coerced to divulge information the world isn't ready for," continued Rico. "We need your help to retrieve her and neutralize her captors."

"By 'neutralize,' you mean 'kill,'" observed McGee.

"I'm not thrilled about it, either," said Miley, "But whoever these guys are, they won't stop until they get what they want."

"Do you have the faintest idea who 'these guys' are?" asked McGee.

"I have a theory," answered Rico. "Are you familiar with the Chronowerx Corporation?"

McGee nodded. "They were a massive technology conglomerate that went bankrupt back in '97 when Henry Starling disappeared. About half of their assets were purchased by Suave Enterprises and sold piecemeal for a tidy profit."

"One of those interests was a small group of former Chronowerx employees. Company records listed them as being on the payroll, but had no information on what their function was."

"Which means whatever they did was either classified or illegal," observed McGee.

"Right."

"That still doesn't explain what they'd want with your friend," noted McGee.

"That'll be explained when we get there," assured Miley. "Trust me, I didn't believe it either until I saw it for myself."

McGee followed the three into the lab, where Robbie Ray and the Doctor awaited them.

"You must be the famous Robbie Ray," said McGee as he shook Robbie's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Robbie nodded. "I wish it could be under better circumstances."

"Tim, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine," introduced Miley.

McGee jumped back a step as the Doctor appeared.

"You must be Special Agent McGee," greeted the Doctor.

"Who are you?" gasped McGee. "What are you?"

"I'm an Emergency Medical Hologram from the twenty-fourth century," explained the Doctor.

"Impossible!"

"Follow me," instructed Rico as he led McGee into the van, showing him images of _Voyager _and Braxton's time shuttle.

"These images were taken by your own satellites," narrated the Doctor. "This is the temporal rift that brought _Voyager _to your time frame. This is a shuttle from the timeship _Aeon _being destroyed by _Voyager_."

"I've seen these," stated McGee as he examined them more closely. "The Air Force dismissed them as imaging errors, even though there was no evidence of a malfunction."

"It was no malfunction," assured the Doctor. "Our friend Miss Truscott is also from the future. The knowledge she possesses could be nothing short of apocalyptic in anyone's hands."

During his tenure as a federal agent, McGee had had to turn a professional blind eye to some truly bizarre things. He didn't fully understand why or how, but he knew he had to help these people.

"Alright," agreed McGee. "Let's get started."

Though unable to detect transport signature due to the amount of time that had passed, McGee was able to reconfigure a surveillance satellite to detect the residual harmonics from the subspace transceiver.

"I've got it," reported McGee. "Location is six hundred nautical miles west of Ensenada."

"That's out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!" observed Rico.

"Ya think?" snarked Miley.

"I've got a visual," reported McGee. "Looks to be some sort of fishing vessel."

"Fishing, my eye!" snarked Robbie Ray.

"Checking reports of vessels matching this description. Got it. Nigerian registry."

"What's a Nigerian ship doing in the Pacific?" asked Rico.

"No paper trail," informed McGee. "These are our guys."

"We should move out within the hour," recommended the Doctor.

"And how exactly do plan on getting us there?" asked McGee.

Rico smiled. "Watch and learn."

McGee watched as a small piece of metal disappeared from the transporter pad and reappeared a few feet away.

"You mean to tell me you have a teleporter?" marveled McGee.

"We call it a transporter," corrected the Doctor.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"We've run several tests, and we'll be transporting you a short distance to a vessel with a low relative velocity," elaborated the Doctor. "However, besides Agent McGee, my holo-buffer can only accommodate one of you."

"I'll go," volunteered Miley. "She's my best friend."

"I'll go," argued Jackson. "She's my girlfriend."

"No, I should go," countered Rico. "I got us into this mess."

"Rico, we need you here in case something goes wrong on this end," insisted the Doctor.

Everyone turned to face Robbie Ray.

"Don't look at me!" dismissed Robbie. "I want to save Lilly as much as you do, but I like my molecules right where they are!"

"Then I guess it's between you two," declared McGee, looking at Miley and Jackson.

"There's a good chance we won't come back," noted Jackson. "And I don't feel like telling the world what happened to Hannah Montana."

"He's right," confirmed the Doctor. "Not to give you a swollen head, but you're an historical figure. Risking your life could seriously alter the timeline."

Miley immediately threw her arms around her brother. "You bring her home safe, ya hear?"

"We will," promised Jackson.

Miley and Rico helped McGee and Jackson with the necessary equipment, which to McGee's surprise included life-vests.

"I've extrapolated a position one meter above the ship's deck," explained the Doctor. "However, without proper targeting scanners, there's a certain margin for error."

"Great," grumbled McGee, who then took a moment to puzzle over the weird-looking makeshift rifle he'd been handed.

"It's a phaser," explained Rico. "Lilly and I have been working on them, just in case. They should be good for about ten shots on the stun setting, or three shots on kill. No need to worry about recoil, just point and shoot."

"Sounds simple enough," noted McGee.

"Oh, I almost forgot the most important item," cried Rico as he ran into the van and came back with the power unit Lilly's kidnappers had used, connected to a nuclear battery, and mounted on a backpack frame.

"This will supply power to Lilly's emergency transporter," explained the Doctor. "Once it's powered, I should be able access it using the subspace transceiver and beam all of you out."

"Get her down to the lower decks, put it between her legs, and turn it on," instructed Rico.

"Why the lower decks?" asked McGee.

"It's set to overload," explained Rico. "It won't go nuclear, but it should give off enough of a bang to scuttle the ship."

McGee nodded in agreement.

"Okay, looks like we're about ready," announced Rico.

"Gentlemen, if you would take your positions," instructed the Doctor. Jackson and McGee stood back to back on the platform, weapons ready.

"Target locked," reported the Doctor. "System at full power."

"Energize before I change my mind," ordered McGee.

The two men found themselves surrounded by an increasingly-dense tornado of high-energy photons, accompanied by an eerie ringing sound.

"Sweet niblets!" exclaimed Jackson, just before the transporter hue completely consumed them.

When the hue subsided, the two men had vanished, and Miley, Robbie Ray, and the Doctor could only hope they'd safely reached their destination.

**End of Chapter Nine**

_I'd actually intended to write the rescue mission in a single chapter, but I didn't like the setup I'd originally come up with. Two chapters to go. Stay tuned!_


	10. Chapter 10

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Ten

Jackson and McGee materialized in mid-air near the stern of the ship, which rudely rose to meet them as the ship rose with the waves.

"McGee?" croaked Jackson, still waiting for his cheekbone to cease throbbing before disengaging it from the deck. "You okay?"

"Yeah," croaked McGee in reply. "I think so."

The two men rose to a crouching position. Each then stuck a hand down his respective pants and fumbled around a bit.

"All there; all mine," reported McGee.

"Same here," replied Jackson.

The two men quickly armed themselves and took cover as they heard two sentries approaching them. Not expecting any trouble, the sentries made a cursory examination, then left. McGee scrambled toward a nearby hatch as Jackson took position, ready to lay down cover fire. On McGee's signal, Jackson also scrambled for the hatch.

Together, they made their way down the stairs quietly, and quickly took cover in a storage locker.

"You're pretty good at this," whispered McGee.

"Just common sense," answered Jackson. "If you take out a guard and he doesn't report back, they figure something's wrong."

"Good thinking," commended McGee. "Now to find Lilly."

McGee and Jackson began a deck-by-deck sweep. Doing so while avoiding detection took the better part of two hours. Three decks below where they'd started, they found a hatch manning by two heavily-armed guards.

"Think they have Lilly in there?" asked Jackson.

"I think that's a pretty safe bet," replied McGee. "We should wait until their relief comes."

"What for?"

"They look pretty tired, so they're probably close to the end of their shift," explained McGee. "If we take out a couple of fresh guards, there's a good chance they won't be missed for awhile. It'll buy us some time."

"Good plan," approved Jackson.

Surely enough, their replacements arrived about twenty minutes later. As soon as the retiring guards were out of sight, Jackson and McGee swiftly took out their replacements with one phaser shot each. McGee determined that the hatch had a double key-card lock. He and Jackson each inspected the person of one the guards. When they'd found the guards, they positioned their cards for simultaneous entry.

"Ready?" asked McGee.

Jackson nodded.

"Three...two...one..._hack!"_

The hatch opened, and McGee and Jackson propped the guards up on their chairs before entering. Upon entering, they found Lilly strapped to a hospital bed, with some sort of a band around her forehead, connected by wire to a terminal on the adjacent counter-top.

"Do you think she's okay?" asked Jackson.

McGee took a moment to examine the readout. "Not my field of expertise, but if I'm reading this right, she's only mildly sedated. We should be able to wake her up."

"Lilly?" said Jackson, shaking her gently to rouse her. "It's me."

"Oh, you're a sight for sore eyes!" greeted Lilly as she began to emerge from her stupor.

"This is Special Agent McGee, NCIS," introduced Jackson. "Miley called in a few favors and got him to help us."

"Good to meet you," said Lilly. "Get this thing off my head."

"What is it?" asked McGee as he removed the device.

"Near as I can tell, it's some sort of neurogenic interface," explained Lilly.

"Sounds less painful than torture," commented McGee as he helped Jackson undo the rest of the restraints.

"Yeah, but a lot more effective," noted Lilly. "I don't think they got much out of me, but we can't risk them keeping what they have."

"Way ahead of you," said Jackson, pointing to his backpack. "This baby will get us out of here _and _blow this tub out of the water."

As soon as her restraints were undone, Lilly sat up, embraced Jackson, and gave him a quick kiss.

"Can you walk?" asked McGee.

"I think so," answered Lilly as the two men helped her to her feet.

Just then, the hatch popped open, and Jackson and McGee quickly fired upon the two men at the door.

"I think our secret's out," noted McGee.

As the three of them made their way to the lower decks, Jackson and McGee fended off attackers coming from both directions.

"How many do you have left?" asked Jackson.

"Three," answered McGee. "You?"

"Two," replied Jackson.

"I've got an idea," said McGee, handing his phaser rifle to Lilly. "Do you think you can handle one of these?"

"Not a problem," assured Lilly, wielding the weapon with finesse. McGee signaled for the two of them to watch astern, while he drew his sidearm and watched forward.

The three of them took out several more men with bullets and phasers before reaching the lowest deck. They found a hiding place amongst the boilers, where Jackson made ready the power pack, placing the converter between Lilly's thighs.

"Now I'm really glad you didn't bring Rico along," snarked Lilly. Jackson threw the switch, and the power pack made a whine that continuously increased in pitch.

"Okay, Doc," said Jackson to himself. "It's up to you, now."

"We have you surrounded," announced one of the men. "Come out and we'll spare your lives."

Jackson and McGee fired upon a few more men who tried to flush them out. They threw their hands up as they ran out of ammo and phaser power. Just as the men came in to take them prisoner, the three of them disappeared in a transporter hue much less dramatic than that which had brought Jackson and McGee there. A few seconds later, the power pack detonated. The shock wave killed several men, and the heat blast killed the rest of the men on that deck. A few minutes later, before anyone could evacuate, the ship sank.

Upon their arrival back in California, Miley ran up to the pad to hug both Lilly and Jackson, and was soon joined by Robbie Ray. They all contemplated for a moment before letting Rico join in.

"Oh my gosh!" cried Lilly, as she ran toward the van. "What about the Doctor?"

"I'm quite alright," assured the Doctor as he appeared on the monitor. "Unfortunately, your kidnappers made off with most of our power reserves. Even with the additional shipment of nuclear batteries, there will be insufficient power to sustain my holo-buffer for the required amount of time."

"Don't worry, Doc," assured Rico. "We'll find another way."

"Excuse me?" interjected McGee. "Would this help?"

Lilly and Rico turned to find McGee holding up a small device about the size of a cell-phone battery.

"Where did you get that?" asked Lilly.

"I found it in the lab," explained McGee. "I didn't know what it was, but I thought it might be useful in case we got into trouble."

"Is that one of those mobile emitters you were talking about?" asked Jackson.

"Exactly," said Lilly. "The data storage module doesn't need any power as long as the emitters are inactive."

"So we can use this to send the Doc back to the future?" asked Robbie Ray.

"Theoretically," added Rico. "But we'd have to read the Doc's program into it using our computer systems. It'll be tricky, and if we screw it up, his program could be irretrievable."

Miley walked over to the van and addressed the Doctor. "So I guess it's up to you, Doc."

The Doctor nodded. "I believe it's worth the risk."

Lilly frowned. "Unfortunately, I'm not all that familiar with twenty-first century computer systems."

"Yeah, this might be a little out of my depth as well," lamented Rico.

"Maybe I can help," volunteered McGee.

Back in Malibu, the three scientists labored for several days. They their knowledge and problem-solving skills to the limits as they worked to create an interface between the emitter and the van's computer systems, and a program to safely move through the computer from the holo-buffer.

They conducted several failed tests that involved transferring several fairly simple holographic programs, having to return to the drawing board several times. Finally, after a number of successful tests, they declared themselves ready to proceed.

"Are you sure you want do this, Doctor?" asked McGee. "Our tests were successful, but the objects we tested are nowhere near as complex as you. There's still no guarantee this will work.

"As I said," reiterated the Doctor. "I believe it's worth the risk. You may proceed."

Even with all of the enhancements and optimizations they'd come up with, the transfer took several days. During that time, the group did their best to go about their business, but found it hard not worry.

"So what's McGee up to?" asked Jackson as he and Lilly walked along the beach.

"He's helping out at the Los Angeles bureau while he's here," informed Lilly.

"Good," approved Jackson. "At least he has something to occupy his mind."

"Yeah," agreed Lilly. "I wish we'd said something to the Doctor before starting the transfer."

"In case he doesn't make it?"

"Yeah," sighed Lilly.

"He did say there was a duplicate of him out there," noted Jackson. "So he won't be completely lost."

"Yeah, but a big part of who he is and what he's become will be lost," argued Lilly."

"I guess I never thought of it that way."

"So, anyway, that's what's eating me," said Lilly. "What about you?"

"I'm keep wondering if walking out on the beach is such a good idea," pondered Jackson. "Or being out in the open at all. There might still be people out there who want to get their hands on you."

"Maybe so," granted Lilly. "But I can't spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. I have a rough idea of where we have to go and what we have to do in the next fifty years or so. Other than that, I'm just as unsure as anyone else. And I'm okay with that. All I want to do now is life my life." Lilly turned to face her boyfriend. "And for as long as possible, I want to live it with you."

Jackson smiled, then leaned in and kissed her. No sooner had they done this than Rico came to find them.

"It's time," he said solemnly.

The group stood silent as Lilly entered the house, carrying the mobile emitter. Without a word, she held it up and tapped one of the controls with a jeweler's screwdriver. The emitter worked its way out of Lilly's hand and hovered at an appropriate height. After a brief flicker, the Doctor appeared. Miley and Lilly ran up to hug him.

"Welcome back, Doc!" greeted Miley.

The Doctor smiled. "It's good to be back."

**End of Chapter Ten**

_Not as good as I'd have liked, but I wanted to move the story forward. Final chapter coming up. Stay tuned!_


	11. Chapter 11

_I lied. One more chapter after this one._

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Eleven

Lilly and Jackson accompanied Heather Truscott to the Reno airport to pick up her ex-husband. Never one to pay for parking, Dan Truscott, a short bespectacled man with a receding hairline, awaited them at the arrivals curve. He climbed into the shotgun seat, and leaned over to greet his ex with a kiss on the cheek before driving off.

"How's it going, Mr. T?" greeted Jackson.

"Can't complain," replied Dan. "And how about you? I don't see you for four years, and the next thing I know, you're marrying my daughter."

"Dan!" teased Heather. "You're making him uncomfortable."

"Relax, Jackson," assured Dan. "I was ecstatic to hear that Lilly had dumped that Oken punk for you."

"Well, thank you," replied Jackson, having learned long ago to take whatever compliments he could get.

"We could've given you a much more elaborate wedding if you'd waited a bit," noted Heather.

"We appreciate the thought," thanked Lilly, "But we figured a low-profile life should start with a low-profile wedding."

"Besides," added Jackson, "We couldn't get married without our best man."

"Ah, yes. Your photonic friend," surmised Dan. "I'm looking forward to meeting him."

The four of them traveled for about an hour before arriving at a small, family-owned hotel, connected to a small-but-elegant wedding chapel, in the Nevada desert. After getting her father settled in with Robbie Ray, his roommate for the weekend, Lilly and her mother met up with Miley, with whom Heather would be stayed. Miley greeted Heather with a hug, and they set about last minute preparations.

"Is it ready?" asked Lilly.

"Sure is," replied Miley, producing a garment bag from the closet. "I have to say, it gave my costume designer a run for her money."

Miley opened the garment bag to reveal a reasonable facsimile of a twenty-ninth century Starfleet dress uniform.

"Oh, Miley, it's perfect," swooned Lilly.

Miley scrunched her face. "If you say so."

Lilly and Heather both scowled playfully at Miley.

Miley smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Though I still think you could've gotten away with a white dress. Nobody pays attention to that old rule anymore."

"Um, Miley?" admonished Lilly, gesturing toward her mother.

"Relax," assured Heather. "I know what she's talking about. You'll be married soon enough."

Meanwhile, in the guys' room, Dan tried on his tux. Thankfully, it was a perfect fit, saving a very expensive last-minute trip to Reno.

"I'm curious, Mr. Truscott," inquired the Doctor. "How did you receive the news that your daughter was an alien?"

The accountant shrugged. "We always knew Lilly was different. It seemed like as good an explanation as any, so we really had no reason to doubt her."

"Seeing to her medical needs must undoubtedly have been a challenge," observed the Doctor.

"You have no idea," confirmed Dan. "Getting her broken collarbone fixed was one hell of a song and dance."

"I don't doubt it," said the Doctor.

"Speaking of which, have you removed that infernal device from her leg?"

The Doctor nodded. "Unfortunately, with the instruments and techniques at my disposal in your time, it's going to leave an unsightly scar."

The three of them looked over at Jackson, whose dopey grin indicated that he didn't care.

"We should have removed that thing years ago," regretted Dan. "But the doctors who found her had no idea what it was. They weren't willing to remove it, lest she need it to live."

The Doctor nodded. "A sensible precaution, given the available data."

"Would you listen to those two yammer on?" Robbie Ray asked Jackson as Dan and the Doctor segued into a discourse on opera.

"I'm trying not to," said Jackson.

The next morning, Lilly surprised her Maid of Honor with her calmness.

"Aren't you the least bit nervous?" asked Miley, clad in a simple, yet elegant purple bridesmaid dress.

"Why should I be nervous?" asked Lilly.

"Oh, I don't know," continued Miley. "Maybe because you're about to commit the rest of your life to one guy?"

"Are you trying to make me nervous?" asked Lilly.

"No," replied Miley. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," assured Lilly. "Anyway, I've waited a long time for the right man to come along. Now that I've found him, I don't want to waste any more time."

Miley smiled. "And to think, he was right under your nose for all those years."

"Sometimes quite literally," reviled Lilly, thinking back to Jackson's less hygienic days.

Jackson, on the other hand, was shaking like a leaf.

"Do you need me to give you a sedative?" snarked the Doctor, sitting patiently as his charge paced rapidly about the room.

"Could you?" requested Jackson.

"I was being facetious," clarified the Doctor.

"Why does she want to marry me, Doc?" asked Jackson. "She could do so much better."

"Define 'better,'" argued the Doctor. "More physically-attractive? More intelligent? More refined?"

"You're not helping, Doc," noted Jackson.

"To say the very least, Lilly is a unique young woman," continued the Doctor. "You've always been a friend to her, and in her time of greatest need, you offered her your acceptance, your support, and your affection. You offered these unconditionally, and without reservation. Is it really any wonder that she would reciprocate?"

"I guess you're right," conceded Jackson.

"Do you want to be with her?" asked the Doctor.

Jackson nodded. "More than anything."

"Then don't question it," exhorted the Doctor. "Embrace it."

The chaplain had seen smaller weddings in his chapel, but not many. Since Lilly and Jackson had opted to limit guest list to the inner circle, they occupied only the front pews, with Robbie Ray, Rico, and Agent McGee on the groom's side, and Heather Truscott on the bride's side, awaiting her ex-husband. Jackson stood at the altar, clad in his rented tux, with the Doctor at his side, clad in a Starfleet dress uniform. The chaplain had seen far stranger, and thought nothing of their wardrobe choices.

The pianist played a simple arrangement of Johann Pachabel's _Canon in D _as Dan Truscott slowed walked the aisle with tears in his eyes, with his daughter on his arm. Dan handed his daughter off to her soon-to-be-husband, and took his seat beside his ex-wife.

The chaplain continued with a fairly simple secular ceremony, during which Jackson and Lilly exchanged a very traditional set of vows. Since Lilly had asked Jackson not to buy her an engagement ring, it made the exchange of wedding rings all the more special in her mind.

"By the authority vested in me by the State of Nevada," announced the chaplain. "I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Jackson and Lilly kissed briefly, but affectionately, wanting to save their energy for later that night.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced the chaplain. "It is my privilege to present, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Stewart."

The group applauded, then quickly made their exit, as another wedding followed close behind them. A reception for their extended families would occur later that summer in Tennessee. In the meantime, the group sat down to supper in a private dining room at the hotel restaurant.

"I believe it is customary for the Best Man to offer a toast," began the Doctor. "As per the groom's request, and in spite of my custom, I shall keep my remarks brief."

The group laughed.

"I've only known Jackson and Lilly for a short time," continued the Doctor. "However, it has been my privilege to share in their trials and tribulations, as well as times of jubilation. I have no doubt that you will continue to exhibit the same strength, courage, and dedication to one another as you face the perilous times ahead. Godspeed, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart!"

"Here, here!" seconded Robbie Ray, raising his glass. The group joined in the toast and drank.

"Well, sweetheart," said Dan to his daughter, "This has all happened so fast, I haven't had a chance to ask what your plans are for the future."

"Jackson and I are going to Santa Barbara next semester," answered Lilly. "I should be able to test out of enough classes to catch up to him. After that, we're thinking we'll set up our home base in Tennessee. We'd like to see as much of this world as possible while we still can."

"Once an explorer, always an explorer," added Miley.

Lilly smiled.

"Something like that," she said, gently squeezing her husband. "Oh, I almost forgot."

Lilly produced an envelope from her purse and handed it to the Doctor, who opened it and scanned it.

From: Lt. Cmdr. Lazura Lira, Second Officer, _USS Eternity _(NCV-331202)

To: Director, Temporal Integrity Commission, Starfleet Command

Date: Saturday, July 10, 2010

Subject: Formal Resignation

Circumstances lead me to conclude that I have been declared irretrievable by the Temporal Integrity Commission. It is therefore necessary and appropriate that, effective immediately, I resign both my position aboard the _USS Eternity_, and my commission as a Starfleet officer. The Mark I Emergency Medical Hologram known as Dr. David Stewart, who will deliver this communication, will provide a comprehensive report of my activities as of this writing. I believe that upon review, the Commission will deem my actions to have upheld the spirit of the Temporal Prime Directive, if perhaps not the letter.

Live Long and Prosper.

"Very well," said the Doctor. "On behalf of Starfleet Command, I accept your resignation, Commander."

That night, Jackson lay awake, with his new wife, with whom he'd just consummated their union, resting upon his bosom.

"What are you thinking?" asked Lilly.

"About the future," answered Jackson.

Lilly raised her head slightly and looked into his eyes. "I thought for sure you'd be sick and tired of the future by now."

"Considering the bearing it has on my present, I actually think the future's pretty cool," argued Jackson.

"How do you mean?" asked Lilly, knowing exactly what Jackson was talking about, but wanting to hear him say it.

Jackson gently stroked her hair as he spoke. "I have a beautiful alien wife, for starters."

Lilly giggled. "What else?"

"Well," continued Jackson. "Given all the pain and suffering humanity's been through...and all the pain and suffering yet to come...it does my heart good to know that it all meant something, and all said and done, the world's gonna turn out to be a pretty cool place."

"I guess that sort of peace of mind doesn't come easily to most people in our time," granted Lilly.

"No," agreed Jackson. "It really doesn't."

Lilly moved up to bring her face close to Jackson's.

"I'm glad I could give that to you," said Lilly. "I love you so much."

"And I love you," reciprocated Jackson.

With that, they kissed and made love with the sort of passion that they would never lose.

The next morning, the group headed down to San Bernardino County for the last time. The new Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Stewart said their goodbyes, starting with Tim McGee.

"So everything's all set?" asked Lilly.

McGee nodded. "A missile from the Marine base with a malfunctioning guidance system should arrive in about two hours."

"I can never thank you enough," said Jackson, gently squeezing his wife. "If it wasn't for you, I would've lost her forever."

"With this much at stake, it's the least I could do," replied McGee. "Look me up next time you're in Washington."

"We will," assured Lilly.

McGee extended his hand to Jackson, only to be drawn in for a hug, in which Lilly joined.

Next came Robbie Ray.

"I really wish mom had been around to see this," regretted Jackson.

"You and me both, son," said Robbie Ray as he embraced his son and daughter-in-law. "She would've really proud of both of you."

After that came the Truscotts.

"Well, Mr. T.," said Jackson. "It may have been a small wedding, but I can't thank you enough for the honeymoon in Australia."

"Please," insisted Dan, "You're family now, so it's Dan."

"We're on a tight schedule here," said Miley as she approached to say goodbye. "So I'll save the chit-chat for when y'all get back. I never pictured the two of you together, but I really should have."

"Hey, better late than never," said Lilly as she and Jackson hugged Miley.

"Just because you've got a gorgeous wife doesn't mean you're not still a loser," taunted Rico.

"Come here, you little jerkwad," commanded Lilly. "I'm only gonna do this once, so savor the flavor." Rico came forward, and Lilly kissed him on the cheek.

"Seriously, thanks for everything," she said.

"No problem," Rico said flatly, still slightly catatonic.

Jackson and Lilly saved their final goodbye for the Doctor. "Dr. David Stewart, is it?" observed Jackson.

"Yes," replied the Doctor. "'Cousin Dave from Canada,' as it were. As you've seen fit to make me a part of your family, it seemed apt to officially bear the name."

"You're welcome to it," offered Jackson. "It's the least we could do."

"We owe you everything," added Lilly.

"I'm the one indebted to you," replied the Doctor, who then embraced the new couple.

Jackson and Lilly stepped onto the transporter pad.

"Are you ready to give your final order, Commander?" asked the Doctor.

"I am," ordered Lilly, tears in her eyes. "Energize."

The rest of the group stood back as crackling energy swirls consumed the happy couple and their luggage, sending them on to Australia. After a few moments, Dan Truscott broke the silence with a joke.

"Well, at least I only had to pay for their return ticket," remarked Dan, prompting the others to break out in laughter. Immediately thereafter, they departed to an overlook on a nearby hillside.

"Are sure we have to do this?" pleaded Rico as they arrived. "I could've done things for Hannah Montana you've only dreamed of."

"This is way bigger than Hannah Montana," argued Miley. "The human race has to find its own way, in its own time."

A few minutes, a missile flew over their heads, creating quite a light-show as it collided with the old Chronowerx lab, reducing all of their futuristic technology to dust.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Rico a moment later, producing a folder from his backpack. "I need your John Hancock on this invoice."

"Dang flabbit, Rico," cursed Robbie Ray. "This really isn't the time."

"Just look at it," groaned Rico.

Robbie Ray's eyes flew open wide as he examined the document. "Paid in full?"

"Yeah," confirmed Rico as he turned to face the Doctor. "I'm a cutthroat businessman, but I draw the line at slave-trading."

"Wee doggies!" exclaimed Robbie, not hesitating a moment to sign the invoice.

"We'd better get going if we're going to make Dan's flight," said Heather.

"Yeah, and I've got a ton of paperwork waiting for me back in Washington," lamented McGee.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you," said the Doctor, shaking all of their hands before they jumped into Heather's SUV and departed.

"Are you sure you can't stay with us a while longer?" asked Miley.

"Unfortunately, yes," regretted the Doctor. "The subspace transceiver is set to reactivate my program upon detection of _Voyager_'s comm signature. I need to make sure my emitter has enough power to continue scanning."

"Well I have to say," stated Robbie, "All said and done, it's been great having you around."

"And I'm privileged to have been a part of your lives," reciprocated the Doctor. "I hope you'll take comfort in the fact that the memory of you will live on as long as my program remains."

"I think that's the most encouraging thing I've ever heard," said Miley, her eyes becoming misty.

"Mr. Suave," requested the Doctor. "Will you do the honors one last time?"

"Computer," Rico said sorrowfully. "Deactivate EMH."

Miley put out her hand and caught the Doctor's mobile emitter, which she lovingly placed in the case Rico had fashioned for it. Rico connected the subspace transceiver, then closed the case and placed it in a self-sealing canister, along with a few other items. The three of them headed back to Malibu, where they would make preparations to send the Doctor onward to the future.

McGee arrived at NCIS Headquarters early the next morning and proceeded immediately to Director Vance's office.

"Come in, McGee," instructed Vance. "Close the door. Have a seat."

McGee did as instructed.

"So, I hear you managed to get in some work with the Los Angeles bureau while you were out," noted Vance.

"Yes, sir," confirmed McGee. "Hannah had a very busy schedule, leaving me some extra time to kill."

"I received a report about two weeks ago of a Nigerian-registered ship being destroyed in the North Pacific," reported Vance. "Apparently, they were performing illegal experiments with Soviet-built nuclear batteries."

"Yes, sir," confirmed McGee. "I was able to recover their surplus batteries and track down their supplier in Kazakhstan."

"Good work, McGee," praised Vance. "Are you sure that's _all _you did while you were gone?"

"Yes, sir," answered McGee.

"Very good," said Vance, closing the folder. "You've managed to accumulate quite a workload in your absence. I suggest you get to it."

"Yes, sir," said McGee, making his departure.

As soon as McGee departure, a faint specter of a Starfleet officer appeared in Vance's office.

"The Temporal Integrity Commission thanks you for your assistance, Director Vance," said the figure. "This could've been quite a fiasco if we'd been required to intervene directly."

"Glad to be of service, Captain," replied Vance. "Would you like me to bring Commander Lazura in?"

"That won't be necessary," declined the figure. "We can keep an eye on her from here. We'll contact you if we need anything else. Remember, this operation did not occur."

"What operation?" asked Vance.

"Precisely," said the figure, just before disappearing. "Dukane, out."

**End of Chapter Eleven**

_The next chapter is actually the last, I promise! Stay tuned!_


	12. Epilogue

**My Photonic Friend**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Epilogue

_Cleveland_

_A.D. 2378_

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Dennis Bergeron, director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, addressing a crowd of hundreds that had gathered. "Welcome to the Grand Opening of our new Hannah Montana exhibit. Hannah Montana epitomized the revival of the teen pop genre that occurred in the early twenty-first century. Yet, for almost three centuries, precious little was known about her. Today, all of that changes. I present to you the two men who spearheaded the creation of this exhibit. Ladies and gentlemen: Dr. David Stewart and Lieutenant Tom Paris."

Dr. Stewart ascended the podium, accompanied by a tall, lean, dark blond officer.

"Thank you, Director Bergeron," began Paris. "This all started about eighteen months ago, when _Voyager _returned to earth. As we pulled into spacedock, we detected a faint subspace signal, addressed directly to _Voyager_. We answered the hail, surprised to see the face of our Doctor, who to the best of knowledge was down in Sickbay, tending to my newborn daughter.

"We tracked the signal to the Hall of Fame's archives at the Iron Mountain facility in Pennsylvania, where surely enough, we found a copy of the Doc's program. The details of how he got there are classified, but his story checked out, and we reintegrated him with his program on _Voyager_. The first thing he did after that was ask me to collaborate on a project with him, namely, helping him build an exhibit based on several gigaquads of data he'd acquired on Hannah Montana. Given my love of history and popular music, and his personal experience with the subject matter, we made the perfect team. You'll see the fruits of efforts in just a few minutes. Right now, the Doc would like to say a few words."

"Thank you, Mr. Paris," said Dr. Stewart as he took the podium. "As my esteemed colleague mentioned, the details of how I arrived in the twenty-first century are classified. I can tell you, however, that it was my distinct privilege, for a short time, to count myself among Hannah's friends. I could tell you all about her, and you'll find most of what I learned recounted in the exhibit. Right now, I'd like to let Hannah speak for herself."

With that, the Doctor's image morphed into that of Hannah Montana, garnering gasps and awes from the audience.

"Hey, y'all," greeted holo-Hannah. "It's great to be talking to you, the people of the Federation, in the twenty-fourth century. The Doc's told me quite a bit about you. But don't worry: Your secret's safe. I'm just a small part of Earth's history, so if even one person sees this, my life will have been worthwhile. The Doc tells me that after all these years, people still don't know who I really am. Well, after three hundred years, I think it's time to let the cat out of the bag."

As the audience puzzled over her strange metaphor, holo-Hannah morphed into holo-Miley.

"My real is Miley Ray Stewart. I was born in 1992, in the small ranching town of Crowley Corners, Tennessee. I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps as a recording artist. But I also didn't want to miss out on all the fun things that being a kid has to offer. So my dad came up with a way: He created a new identity for me, one where I could get up on stage and let myself go, and go to school the next morning as plain old me."

Holo-Miley morphed back into holo-Hannah.

"That identity was Hannah Montana. Maintaining the charade was trying at times, but I'm glad I did it. My life really was the Best of Both Worlds."

With that, the drum-beats started, and Tom Paris started the crowd clapping. The guitars began playing, and holo-Hannah began singing.

_A/N: You know the lyrics; I'm not going to bother quoting them._

The audience cheered as holo-Hannah finished her song and morphed back into Dr. Stewart.

"Holo-Hannah will continue to serve as an interactive virtual tour guide," commented Director Bergeron. "This exhibit will remain at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for one year, after which it will tour museums throughout the Federation." Bergeron looked at Paris and Dr. Stewart. "Gentlemen, are we ready?"

The two men nodded. Bergeron handed them a large pair of scissors. Paris took one handle, Dr. Stewart took the other, and together, they moved the device into position.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Bergeron. "Without further ado, I give you Hannah Montana!"

The audience cheered as the two men cut the ribbon, after which the holographic wall disappeared and the stage moved to the side, allowed security guards to control the flow of people into the exhibit.

"Great work, gentlemen," praised Bergeron shaking both of their hands.

"Thanks," replied Paris. "But it's not quite finished yet."

"What do you mean?" asked Bergeron.

"A few of our assistants were still working the Oliver Oken station," explained Dr. Stewart. "Their findings didn't come in until a few days ago."

"Really?"

"Yeah," elaborated Paris. "Apparently, Oken's second album sucked pretty hard. We figure it was probably because he was depressed over being dumped by Mikayla. After his record sales took a dive and his label dumped him, he tried to kill himself and spent six months a mental institution. He actually reconciled with the Stewarts a few years later, but they only met the once. We still don't know for sure what happened to him, but that was around the time the bombs started falling, so it's probable he died in the first wave."

"Fascinating," said Bergeron. "Take as much time as you need. We'll be sure to include it when it's ready."

A few days later, Dr. Stewart was relaxing in his San Francisco apartment when he heard the door chime.

"Enter," he said.

"Hey, Doc," greeted Tom Paris.

"Mr. Paris," greeted Dr. Stewart, pleased to see Tom. "What brings you here?"

"I've got two weeks' leave before my new assignment starts. I thought we could get together, maybe talk about something other than work for a change."

"That sounds delightful," said the Doctor.

At that moment, Tom observed a pair of urns sitting upon a shelf. The labels read:

Jackson Rod Stewart

1990-2066

Lillian Truscott Stewart

2818-2072

"Friends of yours, Doc?" inquired Tom.

"Yes, actually," confirmed Dr. Stewart. "I'm honoring their request to be interred at the Lohh Crematorium on Bajor."

"Need a lift?" asked Tom.

"I was hoping you might offer," accepted the Doctor.

"Great!" said Tom. "I'll arrange for a runabout. We'll leave at 0700."

"I look forward to it."

The next day, Tom and Dr. Stewart departed for Bajor.

"Are you sure B'Elanna's alright with this?" Dr. Stewart asked belatedly, just after they'd gone to warp.

"Oh, she's more than happy to let you borrow me for a few days," replied Tom. "You know, it occurs to me that they _really _screwed up the dates on Lilly's urn."

"Trust me, Mr. Paris," assured Dr. Stewart. "The dates are correct."

"It seems to me we left a lot of their details out of the exhibit," observed Tom.

"It was their wish to remain as obscure as possible," explained Dr. Stewart. "They couldn't risk further contamination of the timeline."

"Come on, tell me, Doc," prodded Tom. "I can keep a secret."

"Very well," capitulated Dr. Stewart. "Jackson and Lilly adopted three children, the youngest of whom lived to continue the family line and tell me what had become of them. They settled down in Tennessee and open a small travel agency. Their town remained relatively untouched during the third world war, so they took up advanced subsistence farming in order to survived. After the war, they spent their remaining years with their one remaining son in Bozeman, Montana. Having fulfilled their dream of witnessing First Contact, they both died peacefully, in their sleep."

"Sounds like a happy ending to me," noted Tom.

"Yes," said Dr. Stewart. "About as happy as can be expected."

_The Galactic Rim_

_A.D. 2847_

Dr. David Stewart appeared in the mess hall of the starship _Damocles_, where an officer of Bajoran and Cardassian ancestry awaited him.

"You wanted to see me, Commander?" greeted Dr. Stewart.

"Relax, Doc," assured Lt. Cmdr. Lazura Lira. "This isn't a performance review. I just wanted to get to know our new Chief Medical Officer a little better."

Dr. Stewart nodded. "Of course."

"As you're aware, most photonics choose to pursue a career in military ops, temporal enforcement, or long-duration colony-seeding missions," continued Lira. "So naturally, I was curious as to why a photonic of your longevity and renown would request an assignment as mundane as a globular cluster survey. I did some digging, and it appears we already know each other. Computer: Display TIC Specimen 912251-Sigma."

A rotating holographic image of Lilly, circa 2021, appeared.

"Specimen 912251-Sigma," narrated the computer. "Lieutenant Commander Lazura Lira, alias Lillian Truscott Stewart. Last known assignment: Second Officer, Federation timeship _Eternity. _Temporally displaced from 1994 to 2072.Viability: Deceased. Temporal Enforcement Status: Irretrievable."

"Computer," continued Lira. "Display TIC Specimen 912257-Epsilon."

A similar image of the Doctor appeared.

"Specimen 912257-Epsilon," narrated the computer. "Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I, serial number Omega 323, currently known as Lieutenant Commander Doctor David Stewart. Original assignment: Chief Medical Officer, Federation starship _Voyager_. Current assignment: Chief Medical Officer, Federation starship _Damocles_. Temporally displaced from 1996 to 2010. Viability: Active. Temporal Enforcement Status: Reintegrated."

"Commander, I can explain," began the Doctor.

"No need to explain," assured Lira. "Most people aren't aware of this, but TIC began reviewing all Starfleet service records and applications almost two centuries ago. If there were any complication, you'd have been notified. As it is, a version of myself from a different timeline lived and died at an earlier point in the current one. As such, I've been barred from serving in temporal enforcement."

"I'm sorry if I did anything to cause that," apologized Dr. Stewart.

"No need to apologize," said Lira. "For the most part, I'm very happy with how my life has turned out so far. What I'm wondering is, did you request this assignment because of me?"

"I did," admitted Dr. Stewart.

Lira brought up the image of Lilly. "Lilly Truscott died almost eight centuries ago, Doctor. I'm not her."

"I'm aware," granted the Doctor. "And yet, even from what little interaction we've had thus far, I can see in you the qualities that made Lilly Truscott who she is. I already know that it will be a great privilege to serve with you. I'm proud to have called Lilly a friend. If you'll pardon my impertinence, perhaps, in time, I'll count you among my friends, as well."

Lira smiled. "I'd like that."

Lazura Lira and Dr. David Stewart served together aboard the _Damocles _for many years. They remained in contact even after Lira retired and Dr. Stewart moved on to other assignments. Throughout those many years, Lira never grew tired of hearing stories of her other life, of the young man she married, of her friends, her family, and her unique place in history at the side of Hannah Montana. For the rest of her life, she would echo a sentiment recorded by Lilly Truscott that had been included in the Doctor's time capsule.

_I will forever be thankful to have known my photonic friend._

**The End**


End file.
